Sincerely Spurious
by Micky Moon
Summary: AU: She decides to set aside her bookworm ways and team up with an incurable siscon in order to capture the heart of the school's heartthrob. It's easier said than done though. —Jibril/Sora
1. cracks in her wonderland

_one: cracks in her wonderland_

"This document is so factually inaccurate!"

The seventeen year old threw the stapled packet of paper across her room, causing sheets to fly everywhere in several directions. She knew she should care that a teacher had put together articles about human behavior with time, care, and effort but she sure as hell didn't want to. Not because of the fact that it was around twenty pages long and the teacher gave her class only that night to complete the reading—the girl _loved, embraced_ the challenge; it was because the facts were greatly misused and proved an otherwise point of view, _her_ point of view.

Jibril Flugel hated reading ineffective material, despite her immense love for knowledge.

Sliding in her mobile chair by pushing off from her desk, she reached to collect the ruined booklet.

Dust was collected along the edges as she picked it up but she didn't bother to brush it off. Instead, she eyed a single speck of dust fly atop a book in her bookcase and her fingers immediately let go of the document.

"Baaabies~," Jibril cooed, pressing her body against the book case. "Mommy is here. I'll clean you guys up as soon as I finish reading _this_," she gestured to her homework document, "bad, bad stranger you guys should never associate yourselves with, okay?"

Creak.

The bedroom door opened a crack, the head of an older female with grayish green hair peeping. Her heterochromatic eyes, pale blue and bright hazel, shone half with amusement and half with disgust.

"My imouto-chan is so disgusting," she cooed, "even though she has the body of a demigoddess and beauty that's second only to _me_, she spends her free time cooped up with books. Shame, shame."

Jibril stared at her intruder with horror, pressing her body closer to the bookcase as though she were its protector. "Babies, don't listen to that disgusting woman and besides—"

She ran a hand through her illustrious pink hair, bearing the teeth of a preying untamed animal. "—intelligence is _sexy_, Azriel nee-chan."

A pregnant silence fell in between them before Azriel broke it, laughing hysterically at her younger sister's ridiculous pose. Jibril sensed the reason for her laughter, suppressing the urge to pull her sister's hair. She loved her sister but there were times she just wished to _strangle_ her. It was times like these that tested her patience as the younger sibling; she was often at the butt of Azriel's jokes when her older sister was bored.

And somehow—

"—older siblings are right even when it doesn't make sense," Jibril thought bitterly, waiting for Azriel's laughter to subside.

When the older female finally stopped, she brushed a tear. "You're always so dramatic for no reason," she chided. Amusement vanished from her face. "But it's not intelligence I'm criticizing you for. It's your arrogance."

"What?" Jibril frowned, tilting her head at her sister's clarification—if it could even be considered one. "What do you mean by that?"

"Who knows~" Deciding of all times to disappear, Azriel made one final wave, as though they have reached the end of a magic show, and ran off. Jibril was left staring at the empty space where Azriel once stood before shaking off her sister's appearance.

She always loved getting under her skin by being cryptic and pushing the right buttons.

Jibril went back to caring her books: removing some books off the shelves, inspecting each page for any wrinkles or collected dust, and double checking that the books were all alphabetized properly.

A few good minutes of this passed until her phone lit up. Jibril picked up her phone to discover that she received a message from her friend.

"Hello Jibril!" Jibril snorted at the formality. It was so like her. "We're going shopping tomorrow and are wondering if you would like to join us."

Without giving a second thought, Jibril texted her answer back. "No thank you." _Is this a bit rude?_ As she was in the process of typing up her excuse, her phone vibrated in her hand.

"Oh, okay! I get it. No need to say anymore. –Fii."

Jibril reread the short message, feeling a bit odd by how curt her sentences were. Though soft spoken, Fii was a gentle girl who had a lot to say. _Did I offend her?_ She decided to type her excuse when the handheld vibrated again.

"I have to go now. Good night, Jibril. –Fii."

_Well. _That _was not awkward at all._ She threw her phone on her bed, jumping right beside it and laying on her back. It wasn't as though it was the first time she had declined her friends' offer to play. If she were to count, today marked the seventh time she had rejected this year. And not once did they seemed to have a problem with her avoidance of them. They knew it was just in her nature to barricade herself in books or other activities.

_So why did her message sound a bit..._frustrated_ this time? _Jibril racked her brain; Fii was the most tolerant one in her group. Despite the amount of conflict that came from facing a girl who pretty much had no opinion of her own, considering Jibril was all about having her own opinion, Jibril rather liked Fii.

While to the rest of the group Jibril gave vague reasons for her absence, to Fii Jibril was always specific about what she was doing: that she was either attending a book signing or obtaining the first copy of a brand new book. So it felt nice that for once Jibril had a viable excuse—to them—why she couldn't shop with them: she planned on waiting after school to see her crush.

Yes, yes, _yes._

Having been a bookworm all throughout her life, she had been the worry of many that she would never undergo the norms that the average teenage girl would experience. Part of that was true. She never did go to parties. She never did hang out with friends in her spare time.

But she, at the very least, accomplished the most important task a teenage girl should at her age—falling in love.

That was right. The amazing, intelligent and _beautiful_ Jibril had found a boy worthy enough to be her love interest.

Jibril giggled to herself at the thought.

He was perfect.

His short, sun kissed hair sparkled of moonlight under the light. His cerulean eyes gave away the limitless possibilities humans could choose to take in their lifetime. That uncertainty, that lack of structured order, that quintessential magic were what drew Jibril in about him.

That, and the fact that he resembled a bit like Tamaki Suoh from _Ouran High School Host Club_, a fictional character Jibril wished to date in real life.

"I want to be a shoujo heroine!" Her whispered declaration gave her a sense of urgency, a time limit to an otherwise purposeless goal. She hardly knew and saw her crush but in that fleeting moment when she first met him—first grew _feelings_ for him—she knew he, it, was something special.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Shaken from her thoughts, Jibril turned the reminder, the source of the beeping, on her phone off and slapped her face to redirect her thoughts from unnecessary topics. "Studies first! Love later!"

Abandoning her phone and picking up her pen, Jibril went on enslaving herself over work due for classes she had the next day, letting hours tick by and the midnight blue sky turn into a yellow heavenly one.

—

She let out a huge yawn, belatedly covering her opened mouth when students passed by her. They conspicuously pointed and whispered to each other about her—probably about her uncouth behavior.

Jibril, though, didn't really care.

She shrugged their just as rude behavior off and carried her way, letting the little sleep she had last night lead her. Walking in a trancelike motion, Jibril searched for a familiar face among the students around her. She couldn't find anyone.

Strange. I usually see them right about now.

Jibril brushed the abnormality off as well, reaching her bag for the material she had read and prepared; she was determined to successfully win today's argument as she usually does. As she struggled to get out the papers which were most likely stuck between every other books and writing utensils she had hastily shoved in earlier that day, a couple to her right caught her eyes.

The couple consisted of a gangly red haired boy, whose face was boyishly cute if it weren't for the heavy bags under his eye, and a petite bleached blue haired girl, whose pale skin was unbelievably unblemished—Jibril thought _she _was the only one in her high school with flawless skin!

But it wasn't her pride being challenged which drew her attention towards the couple—though that was part of it—it was the way they talked to one another as though no one but them existed.

_Straight from a shoujo._ Jibril sighed, pressing a hand to her chest. It was a rather cute sight and if the bell hadn't rung that moment, she would've been content with walking slowly behind them, enjoying the view of two people taking their own time just to enjoy each other's company.

—

The classroom doorway came to her view when she halted in her tracks, Jibril backtracking the way she came from. It was strange. Perhaps it was because of her diligence as a student that she hadn't noticed but not once that day she bumped into her friends, let alone the entire group together.

Normally between classes they would all meet up by the vending machines: Kurami Zell would be complaining nonstop about the chattering boys in the back of the classroom, Fii Nilvalen would be comforting Kurami about how boys would be boys, and Izuna Hatsuse would be struggling about what drink to pick from the machine.

Today, however, she saw none of them and was a little worried. _Were they _all _absent?_ It seemed unlikely though, considering Kurami's superiority complex, Fii as Kurami's follower, and Izuna's obedience as a well performing student.

"Then where did they possibly go—ouch!" A book hit the top of her head; the person with the book gave Jibril a disappointing glare before heading for the classroom. "I won't tolerate cutting in my class, Ms. Flugel."

"Yes, sensei," Jibril muttered, following in after the teacher.

The class didn't go well for the rest of the period. During the class debate, she missed her chance to speak first, which was decisive and the time people paid most attention to. She realized she had gotten the wrong folder of information and passed her turn.

When she finally did speak up—as her class work grade that day depended on participating the debate at least twice—she stumbled for words. "Despite the names we put on certain types of love, romantic sibling love as incest or the love an adult has for a child as pedophilic, this only shows that love is boundless and comes in all different assortments. It shouldn't be judged."

It was crudely presented, her hunch told her. And it was confirmed as soon as Jibril was seated down and a hand shot up in the air.

"But what if different types of love, such as incest, come from judgments? If love is a product of people's perceptions, shouldn't it be okay to govern love with ethics?

All eyes turned to Jibril, who was rendered speechless. If she had come prepared with her arsenal of research, she could've refuted those questions easily. But all she had with her were a half filled sheet of loose leaf paper and a pen.

Reluctantly, she looked down at the table and muttered, "You make a good point that I haven't considered."

From the far off corner, the discerning 'tst' sound made by her teacher could be heard so clearly. Jibril didn't even try to picture the glaring red mark that would surely be printed on her evaluation paper.

—

Crouching by the shoe lockers and hiding by a pillar, Jibril snuck a peek for any signs of a blue eyed blonde boy. From what she had heard, the boy passed by this corridor to fetch his shoes by the end of the day on a daily basis. If what she heard was correct, he would be stopping by any second now. And then...

_I can 'accidentally' bump into him and we will have our chance meeting!_

Pleased with herself, Jibril drew out a compact mirror, quickly inspecting her reflections. Brushed hair, check. Clear skin, check. Pink lipstick, check. But...

She lifted her arm, bringing it close to her nose. A nameless odor filled her nostrils and she drew back, disgusted with herself for getting away with the terrible stench.

No matter. Jibril brought out a perfume bottle she had purchased the other day, shaking it before giving it a couple of squeeze.

"Ah, smells perf—"

Her grip on the perfume bottle loosened as someone's shoulder roughly collided into her back, sending her forward down onto the ground. The bottle fell as well, shattering into shards and spilling a small puddle. The world around her became a colorful blur and only until she blinked back the nausea did her vision and the realization that she was a mess returned.

She looked up to see her perpetrator already walking away.

"...shouldn't you apologize?" The person beside the perpetrator asked, her voice soft and dull. Jibril recognized her as part of the couple she saw briefly this morning. Deciding to let it go and placing her condition as part of her bad luck, Jibril began cleaning up until she heard—

"—nah, she looked crazy anyways."

He did _not_ say that.

Without a second thought, Jibril leapt forward and charged towards the two, giving the red haired, obnoxious boy a hard push.

He fell face flat and the girl next to him gasped, hovering over him quickly.

"Are you okay—"

Jibril grinned to herself, happy she had gotten her revenge. Plus, she could finally discover the names of this couple—

"—Sora nii-chan?"

Sora nii-chan? Brother? Standing quizzically, Jibril pondered at the girl's choice of words. If what she was hearing was true then...

"I'm fine," the boy grinned widely at the little girl, reaching up to pat her head. "Don't worry about me, my imouto."

...they were siblings.

Jibril cocked her head in utter confusion. But from the way they acted this morning, she could've sworn...

"Teto-san." At the sound of the name of her crush, she reflectively hid behind the wall, abandoning the shattered leftovers of a perfume bottle.

_Dammit, I wasn't supposed to hide but—_

—there was no way in hell she was going to be seen as a mess.

"Hey Shiro-chan! What's with Sora looking messy?"

"Just because—hey! Hey! Stop taking pictures of me!"

"Hehe, you should know me by now, Sora! Come on, let me take a good one."

"No! Shiro save me!"

As Jibril watched the scene unfold—a gangly red head trying to hide behind a petite blue haired girl and a laughing blonde demigod trying to capture the moment—an epiphany came to her.

The reason why the red haired boy, Sora and the blue haired girl, Shiro appeared as a couple. It was because—

"—he likes her." It was weird having the thought on the tip of her tongue and fall out as actual words. Weird, surreal. Not because she had discovered a real life siscon but because it tied in with what she was arguing earlier that day.

_"What if different types of love, such as incest, come from judgments? If love is a product of people's perceptions, shouldn't it be okay to govern love with ethics?"_

Her jaws tightened at the memory, and an idea came to her then: Blackmail him. Blackmail him that you would help him with pursuing his sister in exchange for help to hook up with Teto.

"Shiro-chan! Don't do it! Don't—"

The desperate wails of her crush died as the cracking sound of a camera breaking filled the air, the boy reduced to a comically sobbing mess. The person responsible for the crime turned to her brother who embraced her with glee.

"You're the best Shiro!"

And that confirmed it. Jibril couldn't. Not even at the cost of proving what she advocated correct. She slipped away before she was caught.

She couldn't ruin the delicate nature of such love—the deep yearning for something forbidden, something that was never meant to be.

* * *

><p>Word Count: 2,771<p>

* * *

><p>AN: I really shouldn't load myself with so many fanfics (yes, two fanfics are a lot), but I couldn't resist writing this one up.

I have done this concept for a FT fanfic but it works so much better as a NGNL one. Plus, I get to write about Sora/Jibril, which is, in my opinion, the perfect pairing. Sora/Shiro is still my OTP, don't get me wrong. It's the pairing that gives the heart what they want (because perfection isn't always the one people choose). Well, more on my opinion later.

So anyways, I hope you liked this first chapter. Thanks a lot for reading and hope to have your continued support. (: Be sure to look forward to future chapters!

Side note; I actually have no clue what's Azriel's, Jibril's sister, personality so if she's OOC, my bad!


	2. changes bring changes

_two: changes bring changes_

When she stepped into the cafeteria, a smell that was a mixture of piss and peppermint reached her nose. Jibril tried her best not to retch and not so subtly, sprayed herself with perfume that came in a plastic bottle. The place was noisy too, making any conversation almost defeating to hear. Students were way too clumped up right next to each other in order to carry a proper conversation but in the process of doing so, they exchanged body heat, filling the air with an indescribable gross type of warmth.

Jibril, in other words, hated eating in the cafeteria.

As she strolled down the aisles of tables, she turned her head this way and that for signs of anyone she knew—anyone she could sit with. Her sister's words about her using "her free time cooped up with books" came to her mind and she tried brushing them away in attempt to affirm that she did indeed have friends or, at the very least, people she could be with.

And she did; it was just they weren't at their usual spot in the back of school, where they would squeeze together on the bench under the cherry blossom tree. If the weather happened to be bad that day, they would escape to the school library, where her friends weren't currently there either.

She finally gave up searching the whole of school and decided to seat herself at an empty table closest to the vending machines when—

"—Kura—mi, you should eat your veggies as well as your sweets!"

"Ah, it's fine Fii! Stop fussing over me! Look at Izuani!"

"Izuani-desu's diet has always consisted of sweets, desu~"

She twirled around, her eyes heating and mind spinning with thoughts. Her friends—Fii, Kurami, Izuani—were all seated at a table near the center of the cafeteria. The center, where it was in the middle of the chaos of the cafeteria. They've always hated that so why—

Why are they there?

Without her even noticing, she approached the table. All noise at the table stopped when she came into their view and—

—so did her stupor.

"J-Jibril!" Fii paused in her wiping, the sugary stain on Kurami dripping onto her hand. "H-how are you—"

"—what are you doing here," Kurami cut, business-like as usual.

Her friend's—or perhaps ex-friend's—words sank in her, as Jibril asked herself the same question. Clearly they didn't want her there. Clearly they had been distancing themselves from her. If she had thought about how distant her friends were to her recently, it was only a matter of time something happened.

She should backtrack; make up some excuse to run away now. She's Jibril of course; she shouldn't put up with this sort of treatment even if she was in the wrong.

But just as she opened her mouth, the sight of someone different to her usual group of friends stilled her.

Poised with legs crossing on top of one another and hands touching the brim of her legs, a red haired girl sat in the middle of this.

She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Steph...anie..."

The name stumbled out from tongue like an old spell, buried only to be dug up when least expected. Or...at least...Jibril had never suspected she would see her again.

—

_"You're a demon!"_

_"Wh-what?" The accused four year old was backed into a corner, bewilderment spilled her on face as she was barricaded by children around her. There were no room for escape._

_A hand grabbed her elbow with a tightening grip._

_"You did it! You did it!"_

_Her throat wouldn't let out anything, as everything, in the form of her playmates, enclosed in on her. Their harsh words stung her, leaving her mind a dizzying state._

_"You're a freak!"_

_"You're so cruel!"_

_"You don't feel anything!"_

_Out of the corner of her eyes, a flicker of fiery red hair and cool blue eyes caught Jibril's attention. When she was about to call out for her, something happened._

_In an almost inaudible volume, the girl whispered, "It's _your_ fault. Not mine."_

—

"So, what are you up to?" Jibril bent down, leaning across the table to close the distance between her and Stephanie. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know, you tell me," her challenging tone was nauseating, taunting for her to figure out the obvious. I'm stealing your friends obviously.

"Now, now, let's stop—" an arm waved in front of the two and very soon, Jibril was pulled backwards. Smiling brightly, Fii faced Jibril with an expression that nothing was out of the ordinary.

Was Fii always _this_ annoying despite being nice?

"Jibril, I'm going to have to ask you to leave now."

"What?" She said it, stupidly; as though she hadn't gotten the message that she wasn't wanted. "I should leave? Why—"

"—because you're not wanted," Stephanie obnoxiously intervened and Jibril threw a glare at her.

"So," she was incredulous, borderline hysteric, "you mean to say—I'm replaced by her?"

Without anyone's response, she laughed, shoulders rolling and tears forming. It was the most hilarious joke she had—

"—yes, you are _desu_." The voice belonged to soft spoken Izuna, who usually kept to herself. Her eyes were animalistic, predatory. As though she was tired of all the dilly dallying. Jibril blinked back the stupor and nodded, fervently.

"Alright," she started to walk away, not meeting the smug glint glowing in Stephanie's eyes. "Alright. I'll leave. I'll leave."

To say she felt betrayed and lost was a complete lie. Rather than those depressing emotions, Jibril was annoyed and pissed. There was nothing more aggravating than having your friends whisked away by someone you loathed without your notice—let alone you actually finding out.

"Bitches," Jibril muttered, "they're just bitches."

No matter how much she told herself that lie, she couldn't comfort herself with it. It hurt, it hurt, it _hurt_.

She sat herself in the only available table she could find, feeling tears well in her eyes.

_Fuck, don't cry. Not now. Not for them._

Just as a chock readied to escape her trembling lips, Jibril heard something familiar. Sitting at a nearby table, a red haired boy and a white haired girl were engaged in a loud but busy conversation.

Stilled in her sorrows, Jibril squinted to make them out.

Funnily enough, they were alone, sitting with bright smiles on faces—the boy's more than the girl's—and enjoying the food laid out before them.

No one saw them together. How could they when such a scene was typical and boring? It made single people cry.

But Jibril was there to witness this and catch all the little moments. The way the boy blushed when their fingers touched. The way the boy reacted urgently when the girl spilled juice on herself. The way he looked at her with utter compassion and love enough to melt an entire romance novel into butter—

_"What if different types of love, such as incest, come from judgments? If love is a product of people's perceptions, shouldn't it be okay to govern love with ethics?"__Blackmail him. Blackmail him. Blackmail him. Blackmail him._

The girl squeezed her eyes shut, letting the tears roll down and wiping them off thereafter. She blew her nose and ran a hand through her hair, resolve filling her mind.

_Forget them. Forget them._

"Alright," Jibril got up, "let's do this."

—

To the untrained eyes, there were no reactions.

When Jibril plopped down, the suggestive distance between her and him, neither the boy nor the girl stopped speaking. But there was a subtle shift in tone, the way their unrestrained happiness turned into caution. It was a fleeting transition but glaringly obvious in the boy's reaction which Jibril took note of as she 'joined' them.

"...and she glared at me, Shiro!"

"Nii, that's your fault."

"Why is that my fault? I just asked her the time!"

"...is that all?"

"W-well...I...did ask for her...sizes..."

"As I knew, nii is a pervert."

And the conversation went on. It was sickening how carefree their exchange was and how adoringly the brother's expression was. Maybe she was speaking from a single person's point of view, but she wished there was a law banning public displays of affections because this was just too damn unfair.

_Save your flirting someplace else!_

Jibril sighed, again going unnoticed by the two. With nothing else to do, she scanned the little girl, Shiro. She was pretty, in a doll like way. With her milky white skin and platinum blue hair which trickled down to her ankles, she appeared almost like a fairy. She was a holy angel from above.

No wonder her brother fell for her, disgusting as it might be.

"...what is your type anyways, nii?"

Shaken from her stupor, Jibril decided her move.

"Oi~" putting a gutter in their lively talk, her first spoken word startled the two. They looked at her with bewildered expressions—especially the boy's. Was he suspecting something?

She smiled to herself. If he did, it was all the better. This could get rather interesting.

"So I couldn't help but hear," she crossed her legs, leaning in towards them, "that you want to know your brother's tastes." She grinned, facing more towards the boy than the person she was answering to. The fact that he now sported an uncomfortable expression, which contrasted his relaxed one from before, was amusing to her.

How could one look so upset in such a short span of time?

"He likes fair skinned, unusual colored haired girls."

She caught him twitching slightly, as he probably understood her vague description.

Just as the little girl opened her mouth, the boy intervened.

"Shiro, don't listen to her." His stare was steely, trained on hers so to trap her. She didn't mind though. It was more fun this way. "She's just a stranger who's bugging us."

"A stranger? You're mistaken," she chirped. "I'm an ally. Your ally. I support you in your..._strange_ affections."

Her emphasis had a definite effect on him, with the way his eyes grew large and mouth let out a barely audible gasp. Jibril hardly believed the impact she had on him.

This is too much fun.

"Well," he spoke dryly, "I find it hard for a bookworm to support anyone."

She felt herself withdraw back, unblinking. She didn't know him before yesterday so he most likely didn't know her. How the hell would he know what she was like?

The shock visibly displayed on her face, eliciting satisfaction on the boy's. His smug appearance said it all.

_"Checkmate."__  
><em>  
>"Nii," the youngest looking member of the table finally intervened, her lifeless hazel eyes flickering from her and the boy. "...is she...your girlfriend?"<p>

"What?!" Jibril and the boy yelped in unison. As the boy frantically explained to his sister—that no, no they were not an item—chills prickled throughout her body and a sense of disappointment came to her.

"What does he mean what?" She frowned, looking back at the sibling duo who was still engaged in a series of questionings and explanations. "It's normal for _me_ to say what because look at him...but _him_?!"

_Then again, liking your sister could blind your tastes._

Content with her reasoning, Jibril readied to continue teasing the brother when she was suddenly pulled away from the table in one sweep.

"Come on," her captor said, his expression glum. "We're going to talk. Alone."

"Eh? What?" She looked back at the table, the abandoned girl staring blankly at her before waving and sending her a 'fight on' sign. "_Nooo! Let me go!_"

—

"They always say to beware of the quiet ones," he sighed, leaning against a wall. "Who knew it was true?"

He had finally stopped dragging her around when he couldn't take her thrashing and complaining any longer. The fact that he lasted long enough to gain a reputation was stunning to Jibril, if a little bit admirable. What lengths would this boy go through preserve his deep, dark secret?

She glanced around their destination: an unused, outdoor staircase on the fifth floor which students hardly used due to the inconvenience of getting to it and how it basically led to nowhere. Basically, it was useless.

She turned back to the boy who was gazed straight at her. She stumbled back a bit.

"Wh-what is it?"

"Bookworm," the way he said it made her recoil, the very term defaming her instantly. He knew this, his gaze unchanging and unapologetic. "Do you _know_ who you're messing with?"

"Do you?" She was quacking, nervous but she sure as hell would let _him_ of all people know. To think she planned on helping him. _This is what you get for being nice._

"Did _you_ forget who you're messing with?

Silence filled the air between them, not a word exchanged between them. Sensing that she wasn't going to give up, the boy sighed.

"What do you want?"

Jibril blinked. She was surprised. The boy, who hid a dark secret and most likely many more, gave in so quickly. Well, never mind. She stretched out an offering hand.

"Your name?"

After staring at the hand for a few seconds, the boy finally accepted it. "Sora Nai," he gave it a firm pump. "Yours?"

"Bookworm," she replied coolly, producing the smallest of smile on his face. "Jibril. Jibril Flugel."

"So Jibril," traces of smile vanished from his visage as Sora released her hand. "What do you want?"

"I want to help you."

"Really? Help what? Tell me."

He was humoring her which grated her nerves. She was just about to snap at him when she noticed a flicker of hurt behind his hardened eyes and swallowed. _It must be hard for him. It has to be…because…_

"_If love is a product of people's perceptions, shouldn't it be okay to govern love with ethics?"_

"I'm supporting the forbidden love between siblings, that's all."

The boy sighed, shaking his head and rubbing his forehead. "Look, I don't know _how_ you found out but, bookworm—"

"—_Jibril_."

"_Jibril_. If _anything_ happens to Shiro, I won't stay still and—"

"—you'll what?" Jibril couldn't take it anymore. Sure, she knew she was literally destroying something precious, something taboo. But she assumed that a person wouldn't be _this_ damn stubborn. "—did _you_ not realize your situation and who has the upper hand here?"

"Are you…" he raised his head in disbelief, "…_blackmailing_ me?"

"Congratulations. I'm glad you caught on so quickly," she said mockingly. Her eyes darkened. "You're damned right I am."

His shoulders noticeably twitched and he tensed. "Fine. I'll do anything. As long as you keep it a secret."

"Oh don't worry. I'll do _more_ than just keep it a secret. I'll help you with your relationship."

"Really now?" He scoffed, leaning into a slouch. His gangly body hovered over hers, despite their not-so-large height gap. "Why would I need _your_ help."

"I…" She looked to the side, trying to maximize the distance between her face and his. "…can befriend Shiro…get the know-how between girls that guys can't get. There are after all," she winked. "Things only girls can share."

Sora straightens back up, tapping his chin thoughtfully. After assessing what she pointed out, he asked, "Why are you helping me? You don't have to go this far."

"_Whaaaat_?" She pouted. "Are you _denying_ my goodwill here? Why on _earth_ would you say that?"

"Because," his body inclined dangerously against the railing, exposing his hair in the blowing wind. His scarlet hair swept wildly around his face as he spoke. "You feel just like me. You're arrogant."

"_But it's not intelligence I'm criticizing you for. It's your arrogance."_

She bristled; face heating up as she matched up Sora's description of her with her sister's. _What the hell does that even _mean_?!_

"At least I'm not sibling-zoned."

"H-hey! Why did you bring _that_ up?" He was reddening, arms flailing to cover the redness. Big. Epic. _Fail._ "A-am not! Don't put it that way! It sounds—"

"—gross? It's 'cause you totally are gross," Jibril stated, matter-of-factly.

"Says the person who supports it."

"Don't diss my kindness!"

They sported matching scowls, desperately waiting for the lunch dismissal bell to ring so that they could finally, _finally_ be rid of each other. But Jibril still didn't get to state her _main_ intentions.

"Fine, fine," she surrendered, capturing Sora's wary attention. "I actually _do_ have an ulterior motive."

Never before did she want to kill someone more than the moment Sora gave her the most incredulous stare she had ever seen.

_Fuck myself for telling him. And fuck him._

* * *

><p>Word Count: 2775<p>

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><p>AN: You guys have no idea how long this chapter took me to write. So bothersome and _so _boring. At least, it was so boring for me to write. I really hope it doesn't show in my writing.

Anyways, the ending may have been a bit abrupt but I was just so done with it. I still need to update my other fanfic, _Forgetting to Remember_ (please read that if you have time! Yes, I'm shamefully self-advertising here, hah). QQ

Ending off, I'm so glad you've managed to last this far and hope to have your continued support! Let me know what you think in your reviews and thanks for all the favorites/follows!


	3. unconsciously moving

_three: unconsciously moving_

"This is _boring_," a male voice rang in her ears annoyingly.

The purple haired girl looked up from her book, her gaze pointed and irritated at the boy whose back dangerously hovered inches above her bookcase. "What is it _Sora_?"

The moment the red haired boy, Sora, entered her room, he was quick to dismiss its appearance. Either the room was too tiny, only capable of fitting some furniture; or the bed was too plain, not cute enough for a girl in love; or the book case, above all _the book case_, was too damn big for a teenager their age. She knew it was trouble, inviting him over but it wasn't like she had a choice.

"_My house? No, no, no way!" The boy comically crossed his arms, chin raised high. "I've never brought a girl to the house before! And I never will!"_

"_Because _that's_ something to boast of," Jibril wearily thought after all her suggestions of where to plan their course of action were shot down by his truly. The library wasn't available. The café was too exposable. The school hallways were too dirty. "So? Where do you want to go?"_

_It only took two seconds and one glint in his eyes for Jibril to realize it was all a trap. Well, perhaps Sora was a loser enough to never bring a girl home but really all his complaints about the rest of the rendezvous were—_

"Come on," Sora's voice interrupted her thoughts, "what are you even looking at?"

Fridays were supposed to be relaxing, god damn it.

"Not your face," Jibril muttered, pushing the boy, who had invaded her personal space, an arm-length away from her. "Let me think of what we could do for our situation—"

"SIGH," Sora rudely mumbled, leaning back and sinking in a beanie chair nearby. "We could just leave messages online or something. This is just a waste of time."

"As if you have anything important to do."

"I do!" Sora cried dramatically, earning an eyebrow-raising from Jibril. "I could take Shiro out for a date today!"

Rolling her eyes, Jibril went over to her book case, searching for a romance novel with her back turned against Sora. "Even if you do, you're the only one who considers it a date."

"Hey!"

"Besides," Jibril ignored the angry glares Sora threw at her. "It's much more stimulating to be around books than to pander over a girl all the time."

This time Sora rolled his eyes. "I've probably read all the books you have."

Jibril just stared at him, with an annoyed, pointed stare. How _dare_ this boy belittle her experience like that. She won't have it. Grabbing for a random book, she approached Sora so that only a few centimeters separated their faces. With a smack of her lips, she asked, "Which British author is known as being the modern originator of the romance genre?"

She pictured the boy to freeze and sweat, his eyes dangerously searching her room for an answer, any answer. If his eyes trailed so much as to her bookcase, she would consider that as a defeat. After all, it was only natural for a book lover to have at least _one_ novel by this writer—

"—Jane Austen," answered Sora immediately and coolly, completely different from how Jibril imagined.

Bristling, Jibril inhaled, calming herself down. _Don't be annoyed yet. You've just started. That was an easy question after all…_

"Which romantic novel is about a gossip columnist who always mentions the male main character in the first paragraphs of the articles she writes?"

"_Romancing Mr. Bridgerton _by Julia Quinn."

"The romantic novel where the male lead is attracted to a female, who's independent and sexually liberated?"

"Is it the one where their friend died or something?"

"…yes…"

"Published in America right?"

"…yes…"

"_Norwegian Wood_ by Haruki Murakami," Sora said smoothly. "It was an excellent read."

And so the questions went on.

As time ticked by and questions were continuously answered, frustration washed over Jibril, who prided herself in her vast knowledge of novels, specifically romantic ones. Yet, here a boy who seemed to lack a single care in the world was answering her questions with such ease that it felt like all her time and experience with her novels were of nothing.

She likened him to a genius, which only annoyed her more. As a student who was of average intelligence, she had to study hard to achieve the grades she did. Yet, with every ninety or eighty score she received, she could spy a student receiving a higher grade without exerting much effort at all.

It was annoying. Why does she have to work hard for things people can gain effortlessly?

At the same time, however, she felt excited. Adrenaline rushed rapidly inside of her as she began running out of questions to ask. In place of frustration was a gained respect towards the boy, who was perhaps the only person who understood her passion for books. He had to if he knew so much…right?

"Well, my opinion of you is better now," Jibril finally admits defeat, a small smile forming at her lips. "You're not so bad, Sora."

"Of course, I'm amazing," the boy puffed his chest, posing in a kingly manner which nearly caused Jibril to retch over. "But don't fall for me."

"Please. I won't. My heart belongs to Teto."

She could tell her statement almost made Sora laugh, the boy who found her crush funny—for whatever reasons, he never stated. "What do you even like about Teto?" Sora asks her instead. "He's not well versed in literature at all."

"Oh, well," Jibril was thrown off a bit, not expecting Sora to be interested in how she developed her crush. Nevertheless, she did feel a bit excited as she had never told anyone her crush, let alone the story behind it. She grinned, looking off to the window beside her bed. "Well, it all started…

"…on a rainy day in the library. It was nearing closing hours but I was still finalizing my selection of books for the afternoon. After checking out at the counter and fumbling for my umbrella, I felt my pile of books tilting backwards and…can you guess what happens next?" Jibril glanced at Sora, who stared back with half lidded eyes.

"Tet came to save you?" He guessed.

"He came to save me," Jibril nodded with starry eyes. "The books were going to hit my head but Teto, _Teto_ saved me! He whipped out his arm and caught those books in one swift motion and, and,"

"He saved you?"

"Nah, he tripped backwards and I got a nosebleed from one of the books that he dropped."

Sora's eyes widened and he covered his mouth to contain a snort. He failed. "What? Really?"

"Oh yeah," Jibril couldn't help but laugh as well. "I was _so_ pissed. Was yelling at him and everything."

"And? Don't tell me that's why you magically loved him. Because of his nosebleeds."

"You're making fun of me aren't you?" Sora shrugged and Jibril sighed. "Nope, of course not. I liked him because then, he apologized and took me to the nurse's office like a gentleman. He was fun to talk to…even though I couldn't understand him…"

"You are so weird," Sora commented, ignoring Jibril's glares, "to find that fun. He usually just talks about random sports terms he memorizes when he's with a girl. He assumes he'll impress girls that way."

"Oh what, really?"

"Yeah. What's funny," Sora snorted at remembering something and shares when Jibril eyes him wonderingly, "is he made the mistake of talking to this girl on the volleyball team and asked if she was the manager. Guess what happens?"

"What?"

"She turned out to be the middle blocker and…she was a guy*."

"Pft!" When the first chortle escaped her lips, another tumbled out, and another, and another. Soon Jibril was erupting in laughter which she tried hard to contain but couldn't. Sora observed blankly before laughing as well, their laughter and snorts mixed in the bedroom air.

"Well, at least your romance wasn't cliché," Sora said when they both stopped laughing. Jibril felt herself smiling. "Like I thought it would be," Sora added, replacing Jibril's smile in birth into a scowl.

"And? Your story with Shiro is probably nothing compared to mine."

"It isn't," Sora denied proudly, slapping a hand across his chest, "it's totally, _totally_ better. So I've always been a glum child because of my intelligence _no one _can match up to. I was unchallenged, undefeated, until—"

"—Shiro came into the picture and changed your world," Jibril finished, looking not amused by Sora's awed expression. "Am I not right?"

"W-well…"

"How _cliché_," Jibril mimicked, relishing the Sora's ticked look, "and to think _I_ was unfairly thought of as cliché."

The male didn't answer, silently fumed at her. She delivered back, sending him the best ice queen glare she could conjure. Irritated, neither backed down from their unofficial staring contest until the bedroom door opened and a green haired girl walked in.

"Who wants drinks?" Azriel asked cheerfully, holding up a tray with two glasses of orange juice.

"Me!" Jibril was the first to break the stare, regretting when she heard Sora's smug scoff. Still, she downed the glass of orange juice, relishing how the orange juice cooled her parched throat. Sora finally got up from the floor, striding over to Azriel. Reaching for the glass, he nodded and flashed a smile. "Thank you very much, nee-chan."

Both females stilled; Azriel poised with her smile and Jibril with her empty glass.

Finally, Azriel chuckled and blushed. "Nee-chan? You're too sweet aren't you?" Jibril felt something sour forming at her mouth. "My name is Azriel! Just call me Azriel, okay?"

"Oh I couldn't," Sora shook his head. Jibril felt like running away then. What was with Sora and her sister acting so…_ew_? "That would be offensive!"

Azriel snapped her fingers. "I like this boy." She turned to Jibril, who was in the beginning stages of withering away. "Don't let him go, kay?"

"Wh-what?"

Winking, her sister waved at Sora and bided the two of them to have fun—but not _too_ much—before shutting the door beside, leaving the two in silence.

"Well," Sora spoke in his usual bored drawl, "your sister was nice."

"And fake," Jibril blinked back to reality. "You didn't have to pretend to be nice, you know."

"Why not?" Sora drew out a notebook from his bag, looking as though he was finally ready to work for the first time. "There's no harm in being a gentleman since I am the guest after all. Now…"

He turned to his notebook, scribbling and mumbling to himself. Miffed, Jibril didn't know what to think of what he said. He was rude, annoying, insulting. Though _she_ supposedly had the upper hand, he didn't appear perturbed at all. Instead, _he_ seemed like the advantageous one. He complained about her room and was well versed in her expertise. Even so, Jibril couldn't help but think that perhaps…he wasn't so bad after all.

Smiling, she crawled over to Sora and peered over his shoulder.

"So is Teto the type to walk around his house naked or does he wear his boxers at least?"

—

"You didn't _have_ to walk me," Sora informed the girl as his eyes flickered from Jibril to the dark night sky above them. The duo was walking side by side on the empty streets and had yet to come across a pedestrian. It felt eerie to Jibril, especially since the boy didn't say anything up until now. All the meanwhile she feared for her life, scared that a madman would pounce and kidnap them.

Because no offense, even Jibril would have a greater chance at taking down an assaulter than Sora.

"Ep!" Sora tripped but pulled himself back up. "I'm fine!"

"And you said I didn't need to walk you," Jibril scoffed. They resumed walking with Sora trailing her in a dejected state.

"W-well it's different. Since you're a female and it's dark."

"Hey!" Jibril stopped, placing her hands at her hips. "Don't belittle us girls. And besides," she pulled out a hardcover dictionary, swinging it. "I always carry this anyways."

Unimpressed, Sora said, "You _so_ aren't cute. Teto likes cute girls you know."

"Well then," Jibril stuffed back her dictionary. "I'll just have to act cute."

"Is it really worth it though? To change yourself?" His words halted Jibril, who peered at Sora. Under the dim lights of the street lamp, she could make out the seriousness etched in his concerned visage. "Even though you're uncute, pretending to be cute is just damn creepy. It won't work."

"Don't you have a colorful vocabulary?" Jibril dryly said. "You know what? Walk yourself the rest of the way. You remember how to get to the station, right?"

"What?" Sora blinked, confused. "Did I say something wrong?"

He was left unanswered, though, as the girl had already sprinted down the block. Jibril continued running, not knowing when exactly she started. All she knew right then was that the night air enveloping around her was too cold and that her heart was thumping _way_ too loud.

"This can't be. This can't be."

—

"Kamisama, where is that guy?"

Jibril stood impatiently outside a classroom with her phone in her hand. School had ended so she didn't bother with the usual customs and seated herself on the ground, sprawling her legs across the floor. It didn't reach the other side which made her feel upset. Does this mean she was short?

"...next is Shiro Nai!"

But never mind that. Jibril could hear the soft footsteps of a small girl approaching the podium from outside the classroom. She peered in and, to her irritation, she spied the girl heading up without her brother arriving in time.

"This dumbass, when is he arriving?" Jibril muttered again, faulting in him unreasonably. She did just notify him a few minutes ago when she realized that Shiro was in the debate team.

To her defense, Jibril wasn't actually a "member member" in the debate team. She was more of a ghost member, a favor she did for her classmate who struggled to find enough members and had asked Jibril if her name could be leant. Thus she hadn't been attending to the meetings until today's, which was apparently important enough for her classmate, who didn't talk to her since she signed the member request form, to search for her. Color Jibril surprise when she was ready to enter the club room for a boring debate to proceed but got, instead, who she thought was a shy girl standing amongst the contestants.

"Hello everyone. My name is Shiro and I..."

Perking up, Jibril leaned against the door frame, arms crossed. Though she sounded meek, Shiro was surprisingly a good speaker. She utilized her voice in such a way that the audience was captured when she raised her voice. She sounded earnest, truthful, and confident.

"Man, I missed out a lot," Jibril nodded. "But so is Sora. That dumbass. How could he miss this?!"

Especially since Shiro's speech was on how she once depended on a person to be her voice and discovered that she wanted to the return the favor by developing a voice of her own.

"It's so obviously about Sora, huh?"

Just as the name left her tongue, the male drenched in sweat and fatigue appeared.

"So you came," Jibril's eyebrows rose. "You should've ran your ass off—"

The boy didn't say a word, walking past her but lingering by the door. His eyes glowed of admiration and care, almost sparkling. Jibril contemplated complaining about his treatment of her but decided against it.

"Don't you see her?" Sora gushed, a few minutes into Shiro's speech. "That's Shiro! She's so amazing."

"Oh yeah," Jibril contained her laughter. It was so rare to see the boy in such a dreamy, bubbly state. "She is."

"She is!" Sora squealed softly, stepping back. He bumped into someone and his trance was broken momentarily. "Oh sorry."

He goes back to listening but whoever he bumped into still lingered. Jibril could make out the person's red hair appearing from Sora's side.

Leaning her head, Jibril was surprised to see that the person was none other than Stephanie...looking completely, utterly taken by Sora.

_Uh oh._

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><p>Word Count: 2,733<p>

* * *

><p>AN: Heeey, happy belated Thanksgiving to those who celebrated!

Anyways, thanks a lot for reading and to my old readers, thank you, thank _you. _I'm terrible at updates and have yet to complete one but I have successfully planned the storyline for this story (there'll be about eight chapters) so hopefully I'll be on top of it?

More about the story and less on my lack of commitment: hope y'all enjoyed the chapter. There was less plot and more character for good reason—next couple of chapters will have tons of plot, well stuff happening. I know Shiro's story may seem a bit of a stretch here but…yeah. It's a "what if" question about her character. "What if Shiro wanted to become more independent and Sora's the one who wanted to be together forever in a very obsessive, unhealthy manner?"

…and that totally didn't inspire me to make a ShiroxYandere!Sora fic, haha.

Hope to have your continued support! Let me know what you think in your reviews and thanks for all the favorites/follows!


	4. baby steps pt 1

_four: baby steps pt. 1_

In his world, there were just two people. Him and Shiro. Shiro and him. And that was how he thought it would always be like.

He imagined growing up living with Shiro, being with Shiro. He pictured sharing a home cooked meal of ramen while sitting cozily together in front of their gaming console for the rest of their lives. They would make commentaries here and there, throw in a couple of compliments, but overall they would bask in each other's presence, not uttering a single word.

It was what he loved most about Shiro. She was patient, quiet, sensible...quite unlike a pink haired girl he had met recently.

Jibril Flugel.

Jibril Flugel was who he would consider, the hacker of the game. Insidious and unexpected, Jibril joined in the game when he was at a standstill. She blackmailed him, was uncouth and annoying, always arguing with him and wanting to be proven right.

Sora even wished, at times, that he didn't have to deal with someone like her but he does for the sake of his precious Shiro.

Still, he admitted that Jibril wasn't all that bad. She does reveal reasons he could never come up with for Shiro's odd behavior.

"Jibiriiiil! Why is Shiro so cranky?"

"Maybe she's on her period? Goddammit man, get a clue!"

And she was helpful. Very helpful. That was the most insidious part of her. Though Jibril grated on her nerves, she surprised him by being utterly charming.

She was the first person, other than Shiro, who entered his world—and he doesn't regret one bit.

—

Cherry lips parted. Petite hands twitched. Cyan eyes heart shaped. Jibril groaned, shaking her head at the sight. They were the tell tale signs of a girl in love.

Or, at least, the tell tale signs of a Stephanie Dola in love.

"Oh," Stephanie flashed a fake smile when she noticed Jibril was beside Sora. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm a club member," Jibril replied, berating herself immediately for answering Stephanie. She added, "I'm an official member here."

Smoooothe. Way too smoothe, her inner thoughts sarcastically said. Stephanie's expressions mirrored her inner thoughts completely.

"Well, that's great that you're a member," Stephanie's tone was anything but pleased. "Since I'll be joining today!" She turned to the boy, who was too preoccupied listening Shiro's speech to bother their talk. "Are you in the club as well?"

Sora, who couldn't concentrate on Shiro's speech with Stephanie's prodding, faced the girl. "Huh?"

Not deterred by the boy's seemingly unresponsive attitude towards her, Stephanie drew out her arm and offered her hand. She smiled that fake smile again, but wider. "My name is Stephanie Dola! I've decided to join the club. Please guide me through."

"O-oh." The boy paused a few seconds before accepting her hand, giving it a few pumps. "Please to meet you. Sora Nai."

As Jibril watched this awkward exchange, Stephanie looking ridiculously pleased and Sora looking ridiculously confused, a wave of dread washed over her. People don't change, which most definitely applied to Stephanie. If Jibril remembered correctly, Stephanie tried her best to get what she wanted—especially, _especially_ when it came to those she liked.

—

"_Sora_. Can you help me read this?"

"_Sora._ How do you pronounce this?"

"_Sora. Sora. Sora!_"

"God," Jibril gritted her teeth, crumpling her paper in one hand as the boy left yet again at the bidding of a certain red haired who _wasn't even in their group._ The debate team had decided to have mini workshops where members—and honorary ones—broke into groups and accomplished different tasks. The group that finished first was given coupons to a renowned cafe that opened recently. "Can she not do her own stuff without calling other people's members? And why is Sora listening to her anyways?"

"There, there," a calming, soft voice said. Jibril felt her hair being lightly patted by the smaller girl, her face expressionless but still holding a subtle smile. "Nee-chan...is just nice."

"Nice?" Jibril felt like laughing her life away. "Your brother? Nice? He's the worst. He's lazy, complains a lot, is annoying. Worst of all he's a sis—"

Her words died before they escaped, realization dawning her. Nervously sweating, she looked at Shiro, who waited expectantly for her to continue.

"—he's just extremely weird," Jibril finished, knowing she was _completely_ not suspicious at all. Completely.

Nevertheless, Shiro didn't bother prying, simply commenting, "But you...and nee seem to be good friends."

"Pft," Jibril snorted, browsing through the papers detailing the exercises they had to complete, "what makes you say that? We're just together because of we have to."

She tried ignoring her reddening cheeks and how perfect it felt to say they were together.

"Because nee is happy." Her voice was cracked, alarming Jibril, who looked up to find Shiro gazing half sadly and half happily at her lap. "He...hasn't been this happy since our parents remarried...so...thank you."

Jibril doubted the validity of Sora not being this happy. After all, he loved Shiro. When he talked about Shiro, he spoke with this strange liveliness that flamed brightly in his eyes.

"Really? I'm pretty sure Sora cherishes _you._" She applauded to herself for sounding so elusive with her wording. "You're amazing after all."

The complaint meant to be a shallow ice breaker as she had a foreboding sense they would run out of things to complain (well, complaining was only for her case) about Sora and would be submersed in awkward, unbearable silence until Sora himself came back. Speaking of Sora why was he taking so slow?

Before Jibril could make her mind up to find him, she caught sight of a tiny blush forming at Shiro's snow white cheeks. "Th-thank you," Shiro whispered.

It was safe to say that this was possibly the cutest scene Jibril had ever encountered.

"What are you two doing?" The boy of the topic finally made an appearance, his expression annoyingly neutral as always.

"Still, the way his lips form a straight line is kind of cute," Jibril thought to herself before shaking it off. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

"Talking about how nee...is a _baka_," Shiro said. To both girls' amusement, Sora slowly paled, immediately curdling over to Shiro's side. "Shiiiiiro! You don't mean that do you? How could you say something like that? Did _she_," he threw a cursory glare at Jibril, "say something? Whatever she says, it's not true!"

Jibril rolled her eyes at Sora's overly exaggerated reactions. "I didn't say anything—"

"Oh _Sora_!" The overly fake girlish voice sounded the arrival of an unwanted party. Jibril noted Shiro bringing her thumb to her lips and biting on it. "How do you do this?"

The unwanted party, Stephanie, didn't spare the girls a single glance and immediately latched onto Sora, whose happy expression morphed into one Jibril couldn't decipher. "Soraaa! It's getting pretty dark out so you want to walk home with me when this is all over?"

"Well," Sora looked over the two girls thoughtfully. "I guess you can join us—"

"—sorry," Jibril intervened, picturing how bad that would be, "but you can't."

"Wh-what?" Stephanie's eyebrows furrowed. "Why not?"

"Because you're being a bother to us."

"Ehh, I'm not a bother," gazing cutely at Sora's eyes, she shook the arm she latched on from. "Am I, Sora?"

Jibril didn't understand it but for some odd reason Sora seemed completely helpless at the presence of this girl. It was as if all her fake cuteness and clinginess had an effect on him. He wasn't acting as his normal self from the way he remained silent and allowed the girl have her way.

"S-sure," Sora stuttered.

Jibril scoffed. "_Hey_. Look here. Do you really want this bitch to walk with us? Heck, I can't even stand here with her."

"Excuse me?" Stephanie stepped forward before Sora could. "You. What did _you_ say?"

"You heard me. I don't want to be anywhere near you." Stephanie didn't step back and neither did Jibril. She held her defiant glare against hers, memories of the past they shared resurfaced. Memories of the times they played, the times they cried together, the times they laughed over the same things…and that time which resulted this all.

"_It's _your_ fault. Not mine."_

She could still remember the merciless, sadistic intent glowing so harshly in her eyes back then. Jibril always thought Stephanie's eyes were the most beautiful but after staring into her eyes then, they appeared disgusting, revolting. Just like now.

"So uhm…" Sora intervened, catching the attention of the two girls. "…can we go home now or what…?"

"Actually nee," Shiro piped up, tugging at Sora's sleeve. "I will walk with the other members. I have to speak with them about something. See you at home nee. See you tomorrow, Jibril."

Jibril waved goodbye while Sora tried convincing Shiro otherwise to no avail. After the girl completely went out of sight, Jibril felt an ominious emitting from the boy and sure enough, the boy was glaring right at her.

"Jibril…let's go home now."

Stephanie tried inviting herself but the boy grabbed his jacket and stomped his way out, brushing harshly against Jibril's shoulder. Left with the shell-shocked Stephanie, Jibril swallowed back a growl before walking out to catch up with Sora, letting Stephanie's outbursts die with her every footstep.

—

The walk to the station felt entirely different from their last walk. The air was freezing cold and the city bustled with life around them. Yet, despite all this liveliness, there was a heavy murderous intent hanging, keeping Jibril walking a few footsteps behind the source.

They passed a few more buildings before the boy stopped, sighing. He turned around. "Oi, what are you doing?"

"What does it look I'm doing?" She halted as well. "I'm avoiding the storm."

"I appreciate being treated as the bad guy when the victim is the one who ruined everything."

"Ruined? What did I ruin?"

"You really want to know huh?" He was sneering now. "You're way too meddlesome for your own good, did you know that Jibril?"

"…I was only trying to help."

"You're not helping!" He exploded, catching the attention of passing pedestrians. He didn't seem to notice though, continuing with his tone increasing. "You're just being so damn oblivious as always! You only understand things when they're told to you straightforwardly, don't you? That's why you're always reading books, aren't you?"

"Hey, hey," Jibril walked a bit closer to him, her own anger peaking. "If I'm oblivious what about you? Aren't you also so damn oblivious, Mr. Pretentious?"

"That's right! I am oblivious! I am completely oblivious of everyone but Shiro!" He came closer. "So don't get in the way. You're supposed to help, remember?"

Before Jibril could retaliate, the boy turned his back and stormed off. Jibril watched his back fading slowly and slowly into the crowd before it completely disappeared.

How frustrating. She didn't do anything wrong. Why the heck is he angry at her? Big deal: he didn't get to walk home with Shiro this _one_ time. She started walking, stuffing her balled fists in her pockets. The guy fucking lives with the girl. He had a lifetime worth of chances to walk with her.

So what was his goddamn problem and why did he had to take it out on her?

"THAT BASTARD," she shouted, finally unable to take the absurdity thrown at her, "Why the hell is he so annoyed? Why the hell am _I_ so annoyed? I know I didn't do anything wrong so why? Why? Why? _Why?_"

"Mommy, that girl is scary…"

"What is that girl doing?"

"Don't stare. She's probably on her period or got dumped."

Shaken from her stupor, Jibril realized that she had captured the attention of many and, to her embarrassment, was screaming in the middle of the busiest district of the city. She bowed slightly around her surroundings.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry." As she apologized for the fifth time, she paused, raising her posture slightly. Bright neon lights caught her attention. She was in front of a karaoke bar.

—

"Do not hesitate, for this is the path we've chosen,

"Even during the times when we're at a loss,

"And feel like they've stripped us off our pride ,

"There's only one honorable way for us succeed..."

She gave up, throwing the mic against the mahogany loveseats. Sitting cross legged, Jibril ran a hand through her hair. The karaoke bar was a place she frequented in the past, whether it was with her friends or by herself. When she was alone, she would seclude herself in the dimly lit room and blast the song on full volume. When she was with her friends, she would join them in a brightened

Speaking of her friends, she smiled bitterly. The last time she had seen them since their awkward falling out had been recent. She bumped into them when she was on her way to join Sora and Shiro at their usual spot.

_"Shit, shit," Jibril muttered as she ran down the hallway. "Why did class have to end so late?"_

_On any other day Jibril would've taken her time getting to the cafeteria. Shiro and Sora did the job of reserving a table for her to sit at. This particular day, however, the two had informed her beforehand that they would be late and relied on her to getting a seat. In a school of three thousand students, securing a table at lunch was no simple feat—it was a competition, it was _war.

_Skidding around the corner, Jibril prepared to sprint but bumped into someone instead._

_"Ops, sorry!" She turned to see who fell. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay—" Her voice cracked when she realized that the person she bumped into was Izuani. And standing close to her were Fii and Kurami._

"_Ah, Jibril," Fii greeted, good natured as always. "Hello. How have you been?"_

"_I'm doing fine," Jibril nodded stiffly. "And you?"_

"_I'm doing fine," Fii nodded back. "And—"_

"—_ah! Enough with the awkwardness," Kurami cut, "let's go. It's so suffocating here."_

_Despite being indirectly called uncomfortable, Jibril couldn't help but smile a little at Kurami's roundabout honesty. It had been quite a while since Jibril experienced her bluntness, which both concealed and directed the truth. It was both taxing and refreshing. Jibril quite…missed it._

"_Yeah," Jibril said finally, "I have to go as well." She started walking but something tugged at the hem of her skirt. Izuani._

"_Izuani-desu…missed you…desu~"_

_Jibril froze, letting the little girl's words sink in. It didn't occur to her that while their friendship ended on a rough, unexpected note, their feelings didn't. They couldn't easily erase the memories they've shared together and if Jibril thought about it, so would she if she hadn't met Sora and Shiro. _

"_I…missed you too."_

It was strange. Jibril picked up the mic, ready to start over the song. She hadn't thought of her old friends at all, yet she was so preoccupied with Shiro and Sora, who she knew for less than half a year. She had definitely cherished them enough but perhaps…friendship couldn't be measured by how long you've known them. Trust, and compatibility doesn't only age with time…it ages when you've met the right people for you.

_Besides._ Jibril grinned as the song finally reached the part where she can sing. _If we're meant to become friends again, there'll surely be a chance to meet again._ With her happy thoughts bubbling inside of her, she opened her mouth to sing…only for the room next door to start making…_noises._

There were violent thuds from the room beside hers and they continue to grow in volume until Jibril couldn't take it. She banged back violently, ready to shout for them to stop when she was close enough to hear the voices of the occupants in the other room.

"Ah-ah," a feminine voice cried, "S-sir, where are touching? _Kya!_"

"Hold still. You're supposed to entertain me aren't you? Well, entertain and I'll reward you…_handsomely_…"

Their conversation continued in this similar manner. The female sounded more and more panicked while the male became more and more impatient. Unable to take it, Jibril stormed out of her room and thrust open the door to the room next door. Before her was a middle aged man, well built for his age. His body was positioned to pin a girl—the girl who was being harassed—down.

"Excuse me sir," Jibril said disgustedly, "sexual harassment isn't allowed _especially_ in this establishme—"

Her voice faltered when the man completely switched his attention to her, giving Jibril clear view of the face of the victim.

Donned in tears and a promiscuous bunny outfit, the girl took the man's inattention as a chance to pull up her top which was dangerously falling off. She froze when she saw who had come to her rescue.

Stephanie Dola.

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><p>Word Count: 2827<p>

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><p>AN: I swear I had this chapter half readied last week but this chapter was waaaay too long. Hence why this is part 1. Next part will be released by the end of this week~

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! It is kind of awkwardly planned but it smoothes out in the second half (next chapter). As you can tell, I'm still an inexperienced writer, not yet having a completed fic and all. Appreciate any feedback if plausible. Nevertheless, hope this chapter was enjoyable enough.

Hope to have your continued support! Let me know what you think in your reviews and thanks for all the favorites/follows!


	5. baby steps pt 2

_five: baby steps pt. 2_

"Oi, what is your problem? This is invasion of privacy you know!"

Jibril didn't hear any of the man's rants. In fact, she couldn't even hear the blearing song in the background. Of course, her ears caught the occasional lyrics (_Baby, baby, baby, oh / Like baby, baby, baby _no _/ Like baby, baby, baby, oh / I thought you'd always be mine, mine_) and it wasn't that she had anything against the song or its artist. It was just…in this situation where she had caught a man old enough to be her father harassing a girl her age, let alone a girl she knew…the song just seemed so _wrong._

Stephanie Dola seemed to be fully aware of this as well, her expression fixed on the ground.

"Are you deaf? Did you hear me?" The man reached for _her_ now, his iron grip dragging her out the door. "Don't interrupt—_oi. _What are you doing?"

His attention span must've been short. As soon as he noticed Stephanie dressing herself up, he discarded any thoughts about Jibril, resuming what he was doing previously. The room soon became mixed with frantic cries, heavy breathing, and that wretched song still playing on repeat.

_Baby, baby, baby, oh / Like baby, baby, baby _no _/ Like baby, baby, baby, oh / I thought you'd always be mine, mine, mine—_

"Oh hell no."

Shaking from her stupor, Jibril marched over. She pushed the man as roughly as she could, grabbing Stephanie. Surprised and offended, the man was about to lash out profanities but Jibril denied him that opportunity.

"Bye old man," she yelled, walking at a hurried pace with Stephanie stumbling and tripping behind her. Jibril didn't pause though. Her footsteps stomped in the halls in an angry, brisk pace. By now, she had gathered the attention of patrons and employers, one of which attempted to stop Jibril.

"W-wait. I can sue you for taking away our employee like this—"

"—do a better background check! I'll fucking sue _you_ for letting sexual harassment happen to a minor!"

She heard the employer gasp and the man stop screaming. Stephanie's grip loosened in hers, and Jibril had a feeling she was pissed. Still, Jibril didn't let this stop her as she continued walking at her own pace until Stephanie screamed.

"STOP IT. WE'RE OUT OF SIGHT ALREADY! STOP. LET GO. IT HURTS."

Not realizing exactly how hard her grip was, Jibril released, looking speechless. "Oh…I'm sorry." The adrenaline which drove her to rescue Stephanie had vanished by now, strangely. Jibril stared at the palm of her hand which was now reddened. Was this how novel hero felt like after rescuing the damsel in distress? Exhausted with red hands?

"Ugggh!" Stephanie rubbed her head as though she was frustrated, pacing rapidly back and forth across the sand. It occurred to Jibril then that neither girl was in a place jam packed of the city lights, the people, and the noise. Rather, there were slides, swings, and the tubes cemented to the ground.

The park. They were at the park. The park where they made many fond memories, memories she could no longer look back as how it felt then. It was all because of _that_ moment.

"_You're a freak!"_

"_You're so cruel!"_

"_You don't feel anything!"_

_In an almost inaudible volume, the girl whispered, "It's _your_ fault. Not mine."_

Jibril inhaled sharply, feeling a bit wounded from memories rushing to her. The stares, the accusations, the _betrayal_. As if her family troubles were just beginning back then, Stephanie had to go ahead and pull _that_. That which cost Jibril her reputation in the class and both of them of their friendship.

"Why did you save me?"

Jibril grimaced, not happy with Stephanie bringing forth the question she dreaded. Why _did_ she save her? After what she did back then. After years of getting over her. But Jibril saved Stephanie and Stephanie was saved. They now had a connection neither of them was very much happy with.

In response to her question, Jibril shrugged. "Because…well…"

"You know what you did? I'm going to get fired." Stephanie's eyes blazed with fury. "How _could_ you?"

"Are you really going to be like that?" Jibril frowned. "Shouldn't I get a 'thank you'?"

"For _what_?!" Stephanie screamed. "For getting me fired of the only well paying job I could get hired for? For losing me the only income source in my household?! I have a deadbeat, no good grandfather to feed too!"

Jibril let her words sink in, now able to comprehend why the haughty, prideful Stephanie, who was goal oriented as hell, would deal with some bastard's abuse. "Steph, I…I didn't know—"

"Of course you didn't know! You don't know anything! You're too wrapped up in your own world, in your own desires to care about anyone else! Even back then, when I needed you—"

"—excuse me?! Am I some mind reader?"

"You could've at least asked me!"

"—back then I had a crisis as well," Jibril interrupted, her own anger surmounting, "don't talk as if you know everything. If I'm in the wrong for not knowing anything, you are as well."

The two stared angrily at each other, huffing as a tensed quietness blankets them.

Finally, Stephanie asked what the crisis was.

Jibril eyed the girl, wondering if it was worth pulling something so old, so in the past. What good was it anyways? It would never change what had happened to them in the past. Battle scars were healing but this confrontation had just pulled that healing band-aid off. And the ripping process was _painful_.

Still, Jibril felt compelled to tell. To play the part of a heroine where she finally forgave what her ex-friend had done. Where they could finally resolve things and have a happy ending.

Jibril finally spoke. "When I was little, my parents overworked themselves. Because they owed a lot of debts. And…because of this…they had paperwork. Tons of them. And I was left in charge. My sister and I…and…that day when I asked you to take care of the class pet…was the day when my parents had to be hospitalized…I…I counted on you." Jibril smiled shrewdly at Stephanie. "I counted on _you._ Imagine my surprise and shock when I came to school the next day, people _blaming _me for not calling for help to take care of the sick rabbit on time? _Imagine?!_ I was shocked. I was betrayed. I counted on _you._"

It was silent for a couple of minutes, Jibril steadying her breathing and Stephanie thinking in deep thought. Then, after a few minutes, Stephanie stepped towards Jibril. Jibril refused to meet her eyes.

"Jibril, close your eyes for a second."

"What—" before another word could be said, Jibril felt a balled fist punch her cheeks. She staggered backwards, rubbing her sore spot. Looking up, she stared back at Stephanie with wide eyes.

Stephanie looked back unapologetically. "That's for staying silent, for not saying anything. How _dare_ you keep silent and blame people like that. It's unsightly of you to blame people unfairly like this."

Jibril digested this, finding her reasoning justified. Still, she got up to punch Stephanie, who fell down. "It's just as unsightly of you who can't even get a clue that Sora will never like you!"

Her retaliation led to another punch from Stephanie. Soon that punch became a kick and then a jab in the stomach from the victim. Very soon, they were pulling at each other's hair, clawing at each other's throats, and tugging at each other's clothes. Luckily, their fight didn't escalate any further from that with the neighborhood all in tune with what was happening and had the police on the way.

The last thing Jibril remembered giving Stephanie before they were shoved in different cars was a punch in the nose. Stephanie returned it with a punch in the eye.

—

"…alright Jibril Flugel. We called your sister an hour ago so she _should_ be arriving any second now. Go sit by the benches and _don't_ start any trouble."

Rolling her eyes, Jibril walked away from the police who interviewed her and went over to the bench where Stephanie had already finished with her interview an hour and half ago. She didn't look in Jibril's way and Jibril felt like scoffing, choosing to sit in the seat farthest from Stephanie.

It was her first time at the police station and it _sucked._ Why the hell were they so needlessly long just to get your address, phone number, and all those other useless stuff?

_And why the hell would they let me sit next to the bitch who I fought with and got me into this mess in the first place?!_

The faster she got out, the better. And luck was on Jibril's side, for five minutes later, Azriel came running in, looking bewildered.

"Where is she? Where is that good for nothing—"

"—I'm here," Jibril called out flatly. Finding her voice, Azriel rushed over to Jibril, inspecting her. "This wretched girl. What is wrong with you? You know I was watching my shows, right? The girl was going to jail for her goddamn fiancé and oh my god, I think she became pregnant with the fiancé's baby? Oi, are you listening to me?"

Jibril nodded, and Azriel continued on, half spewing about what she was doing and half lecturing over what she should do and what she shouldn't. It occurred to her then, that she never did have a normal childhood. Her parents were never there, uselessly overworking themselves with jobs that paid them debts instead of wages. Jibril hated to consider it but it was, perhaps, a blessing that her parents were rid of their sufferings that faithful day in the hospital. A blessing to them and a curse to Azriel, who inherited their burdens.

In this case, Azriel had less of a childhood than Jibril did. Jibril had been relieved of her duties but Azriel…never had a single vacation day in her life.

_I'm a total idiot._

"…and you should _always_ protect your face. It's alright to be punched everywhere else but the face—hey!"

Jibril draped her arms around Azriel, trapped in Jibril's warm embrace. Jibril dug her chin in the crook of Azriel's shoulders, sobbing. "I'm sorry, nee-chan. I'm so, so sorry."

"Uhm…okay?" Azriel hesitantly patted Jibril. "There, there Jibril…" But no matter her attempts to soothe her sister, Azriel failed to do so and eventually gave up, letting Jibril sob to her content. Soon, she stopped and the two sisters went around apologizing for all the mess Jibril made and promising not to cause trouble again.

As the females exited out, Jibril glimpsed Stephanie seated in the same place she was before. She was alone in the station.

_In a novel, I would've reconciled with Stephanie. In a novel we would've become best friends again. But life isn't a novel and the pages to life are endless: when one chapter closes, another opens. That's why even when our old friendship was long closed and our animosity is coming to a close, another chapter has still yet to be opened._

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><p>Word Count: 1873<p>

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><p>AN: I'm kind of ashamed how little this chapter came out to be but I'm just so sick of this chapter that I had to break this up into another part. OTL The next part is entirely written though. *just has to write the scene with the Flugel sisters in* So _hopefully_ it'll come out tomorrow or sometime next week? 8D I did hope to complete this fanfic before January but oh wells~

Happy holidays by the way everyone!

Hope to have your continued support! Let me know what you think in your reviews and thanks for all the favorites/follows!


	6. baby steps pt 3

_six: baby steps pt. 3_

"I want some _food._"

Those were the first words her sister said. When they departed from the police station, it was strangely quiet. Her usually boisterous sister didn't utter a word, cranking up the radio to let the music replace any talking. There was no lecture or complaint. Just the sound of some cheery pop music while they drove through the late night.

But then, as soon as they arrived home, Azriel threw herself against the couch, propping her legs against the coffee table, a notion Jibril herself was always disparaged for committing. Jibril stood by the door with her mouth ajar, not quite sure what to say.

"Nani?" Azriel asked, after noticing her sister's inaction. "Get in already. It's cold with the door open."

"Oh, uhm…" Jibril closed the door shut, still wondering what she should do or if she was going to be punished. "…nee-chan—"

"—oh ho, ho, _now_ I'm your older sister?" She stood up, striding towards Jibril, who backed up out of fear until her back touched the wall. Shoot. There was nowhere to run.

Jibril looked fearfully into Azriel's predatory gaze full of serious irritation. There had been very few times that Jibril had truly angered Azriel and that was only because Azriel never had the time to become angry. Thinking this, Jibril felt her stomach knotted out of guilt and she bit her bottom lip for what was to come.

_Well, whatever is to come, I deserve it._

"Yes, that's right," Azriel's hoarse voice cut through Jibril's thought and the girl looked up at her sister. "I'm your older sister. Not daddy, not mommy. I can't be that for you so please—tell me if I'm doing something wrong."

Jibril stared incredulously at Azriel. She had completely misjudged her sister. While she should be the one punished, Azriel was the one being punished—being punished for not being a good parent for her. What ridiculous notion was that?

She noticed her sister's shoulders shaking and her eyes glowing under the lights—tears. Her sister was shedding tears.

"Nee-chan!" Jibril wrapped her arms around her sister's shoulders, cutting Azriel's sharp breathing intakes short. The warmth was unfamiliar but comforting and even though Jibril felt Azriel struggling to escape, Jibril didn't let her.

"_But it's not your intelligence I'm criticizing you for. It's your arrogance."_

Right, right. Because even with her intelligence, she hadn't realized what was the most important thing in front of her: Azriel, her sister who had to grow up for her. She had chosen to not question the times when Azriel came home so early, despite the commitment her job required. It was all for _her_. Azriel had chosen to spend some time with her, cutting back the hours when she could've made money.

"Had I always been this ignorant?" Jibril suddenly murmured, her thoughts wandering back to Sora's dilemma. "Thinking that I know everything, always in my own content world—"

"—_baaaaka._" A fist landed on top of her head and Jibril pulled back in response, her head throbbing and eyes tearing. "Ouuuuch! My face still hurts nee-chan!"

"Which is why I didn't slap you," Azriel replied. "But what was with that serious face you had on? Not like you at all. Don't you worry your little face about the past, little sister."

"Eh?" Her eyes widened. "H-how did you know?"

"It's obvious what you're feeling."

"B-but even so," Jibril looked down at the ground. "I-I caused a lot of trouble and I didn't help you out when you needed and, and…"

"And even if you did, it wouldn't have helped out at all, anyways," Azriel interrupted. "Doing stuff when you don't have the ability to is just as harmful you know. Dumbie."

"B-but—"

"—but if you still insist," Azriel crossed her arms, flipping hair over her shoulder. "You can get some ice cream for me at the conveience store."

"…what?" Jibril cocked her head to the side. "R-right now?"

"Yes."

"It's dark out now."

"I know."

She opened her mouth to further point out the absurdity of her request but closed it when she saw the playfulness glinting in Azriel's eyes. So this was her punishment. "Hai, hai, nee-chan. I'll get some to you quickly."

"—at least four cartons okay?"

"F-four?! Isn't that too heavy for me, a delicate flower blooming in the midst of her youth?"

"Just get four missy."

"O-okay."

—

Walking out in the city while it was nighttime was not something Jibril did frequently. Being the indoor person she was, she felt uncomfortable staying out, let alone late when she could be the victim of ghouls, gang lynching, psychopaths…

_I should seriously stop reading manga._

But still, this punishment Azriel gave her was actually pretty nice. It felt refreshing to have the night air blow in her hair and see the streets empty of people. It felt like she was the only person in the world and she

"Oh," Azriel said to herself as she recognized that the neighborhood she was walking in was not the one that led to the convenience store. Instead of passing by apartments, she was nearing trees and walking on a cobblestone path.

The playground.

Sure enough, with the help of the glowing lampposts, she soon made out the playground, the place looking ominously different from when she was there earlier that afternoon. The bright red paint of the slides was menacing, appearing as if a murder had happened and blood splayed messily.

"—girls would want that?"

As she neared closer to the playground, she could make out a male figure standing absentminded under the street lamppost. She could recognize the dry tone and flicker of red hair from anywhere.

"Sora?"

The figure turned his head, revealing the ruby eyes and pale skin she had always compared to Snow White's complexions. Come to think of it, he had always behaved more of a prissy princess than anything.

He recognized her immediately, his open mouth slacking and eyes widening. He turned towards her immediately but tripped on his feet, falling body flat into the sand beneath him.

"Ouch..."

Jibril couldn't help but giggle, rushing to the boy's side to help him up. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she pulled him up with a grunt.

"You okay?" She immediately regretted her question, remembering his earlier treatment towards her. She backtracked. "Not that I'm worried or anything. You just look like you'll become a public menace; playing at a kid's place in the middle of the night and all."

The boy brushed off the sand on his clothing, his eyes rolling. He bent towards the ground and fumbled around in the sand until he found his cellphone, putting it to his ears.

"Tet, I'll talk to you later. No, it's not Shiro. Who the heck have we been talking about? No, shut up. Bye."

Tet, that nickname reminded Jibril of the boy's energetic bestie and her crush. He was talking to Teto? What was he talking to him about? Was he, perhaps, talking about her?

As he hung up and turned towards her, Jibril realized that he had talked to Teto, her crush, yet her mind wasn't swarming with questions about him but, rather, questions about Sora. She tried stopping the red spreading to her face as she remembered that she was supposed to be angry with Sora, not flustered and—

"I'm sorry," the boy suddenly said, his hand stuffed into his pockets and head turned nervously towards everywhere but her. If Jibril didn't know any better, she would say that Sora was nervous.

But that couldn't be true...

"Wh-what?" Sora said when she didn't respond. "I said I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry for yelling and getting mad at you earlier. You didn't do anything wrong. It's just…I don't talk to girls that much and it felt great for once but uhm…doesn't mean that I don't like talking to you…oh…uhm…"

His eyes finally met hers and she was able to see the anxious and begging glint glowing in night's darkness. He was nervous. Smooth talking, confident asshole Sora was actually nervous.

"Ohhh~" She couldn't resist, the corners of her mouth turning upwards. "Is Sora Nai nervous? _Thee_ Sora Nai?" She sashayed over to the boy's side, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. "What? Were you afraid that I was mad?"

The boy was visibly uncomfortable, the way his body stiffened when she brushed her shoulder against his side and her face neared his. Yet, he didn't make a move to distance himself. Instead, he nodded numbly.

"That's right. I was afraid that you were angry."

Jibril froze, the teasing mischief inside of her dissolving. She wasn't sure if she heard him carefully because what he implied was that she meant something to him more than a person to give him leverage in his love life. He remained silent though, not saying anything to take back his words and waiting patiently for her reply.

She tried too. She opened her mouth, which went dry immediately, and closed it.

"Why...were you afraid?"

"Does that have to be asked?" He looked exasperated at her, as if disappointed at her for not getting the bigger picture—which she felt she did but didn't dare believe. "We're friends right? Even though we didn't start out as friends, I've come to rely on you a lot and...you're pretty cool."

That solidified it. The blush on her face became impossible to stop, like water rushing through a broken dam. She turned her back before she was caught and dived for a swing seat, moving her legs.

The boy didn't say a word, having been used to the girl's erratic whims. He approached her, gazing at her with a weirded face.

The girl didn't stop swinging, trying to let the night breeze cool the warm blush forming. "Can I help you Mister Nai?"

"Nah, just...what the hell are you doing?"

"Should you spew profanities at the person you just apologized to?" Jibril sneered, a bit bewildered how her blush didn't stop even after Sora returned to his usual self. "Well, don't make me look like an idiot. Grab a swing!"

Even at her offer, the boy didn't move an inch. "Naah, I'm good."

"Why? Does lil' Sora not know how to swing?"

She was only joking but Sora didn't respond, lowering his head a bit. She screeched to a stop and let her blush cool to a shocked expression.

"You...can't be serious?"

"I was a delicate child!" He cried his outburst akin to a kid who had his toys taken away. "And I knew playing outside was a waste of time! And, and,"

_I was holed up in the house throughout all my life_, was his unsaid explanation.

He didn't finish as Jibril laughed away his poorly made up justifications, grabbing him by the hand and dragging him over to the swing. She pushed him onto a seat and he looked up at her with large, scared and childlike eyes.

_He's so cute._

She brushed that thought away, putting her hands over his and forcing it to latch onto either side of the chain that was attached to the seat.

"Look," she said, "when you are going forward, lean backwards and straighten your legs. When you are going backwards, straighten back and cross legs backwards. Got it?"

"Do I have a choice?" He asked grimly but Jibril didn't answer, pushing the boy forward. He yelped, absolute terror written in his body motions as his legs curled up to his chest. Jibril tried coaxing him out of it but no number of encouragement and threats could deter him. Finally, the swinging stopped and Jibril saw the boy visibly shaking.

"D-Don't ever do that again."

"Fine," she tried containing her laugh. "I'll push you instead, okay?"

"Please no!"

"Come on. I won't push too hard."

The boy reluctantly relented and Jibril pushed him gently. After a few minutes of pushing and swinging, Jibril noticed the trembling stopped and a new smile forming on his face.

"Enjoying the ride?" She teased.

"Only because I have someone to land on when I fall!"

"Please," she rolled her eyes, "I'll make sure you fall on the floor."

"I highly doubt that."

Silence blanketed them though it felt comforting to be outside without all the hustle and bustle that forever came with people. When her eyes arbitrarily scanned around the playground and then to the back of Sora's figure, a thought came to her.

"Sora, why did you talk to her? Even if you say it's because you normally don't talk to girls, there's a bigger reason, right?"

His lack of immediate response was an unsaid answer: _Bingo. _She waited patiently for him to elaborate, which he did eventually. "It's because…of Shiro."

"Shiro?"

"Yes, she asked me an odd question earlier today. '_Nii, what if I was away for awhile? How would you feel?'_ I didn't know how to answer. I didn't know how to behave."

"…so?"

"It made me feel like Shiro didn't need me anymore. It was as if she was warning me that she'll be away."

"Well, it's natural for siblings," the words accidently slipped from her mouth and almost immediately, Jibril regretted it. She noticed Sora's figure slackening and his head lowered.

"Yeah, but we're not _regular_ siblings you know."

"Yes, I know." For some reason, the idea of proving that a love between two siblings could ethically work was no longer appealing to her. She had an inkling what Sora was trying to allude to but while she would support him before, she had the strongest urge to yell at him to stop. She didn't have a clue why she felt this way though, suppressing her desires.

"And it's strange," Sora continued. "I thought I would support Shiro in whatever she wants but I just want her to stop. To stop doing all these things and remain the Shiro I've known all along. To stay my sweet little imouto."

"But she doesn't want to?"

"She doesn't want to," Sora nodded again.

Jibril waited for Sora to continue but this time, he didn't and Jibril didn't bother continuing. She didn't like the direction the conversation was heading and it wasn't _just_ the fact that he talked about liking his sibling. It was the general nature of it. It felt like it had manifested into something darker than what Jibril thought his love was.

And Jibril refused to believe Sora's love had become that way because Sora _wasn't like that._

Then, in that second, Jibril noticed a trash bag drifting dangerously in front of Sora's swinging. She ran over to remove the garbage but when she turned her around, Sora was flying off the swing and towards her.

"What the hell—"

Poof!

Sand circled around them from the impact and Jibril opened her eyes, feeling a heavy weight on top of her. Seconds later, the weight was lifted and she looked up to see Sora's face close to hers, coated with layers of worry.

He was on top of her.

"Jibril! Are you okay?" His voice was worried and rapid. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"N-no," she turned her face to the side, bothered by the close proximity. "I'm fine. Why the hell did you have to fall?"

"I was scared and surprised!" He was about to elaborate more when he paused, inching closer to her face.

Jibril's eyes widened. "Wh-what are you doing—"

"—what happened to your face?" His voice cut sharply, with no hint of humor. Just seriousness that could kill. "It's black and all."

"Oh this?"

Since the moment she saw Sora, she now remembered the reason why she was out in the first place. Her eyes flitted towards the digital clock that hung against the glass window of the corner bank. 9:15. Oh shit, Azriel was going to kill her—

Before her mind could conjure all the punishments Azriel would dish out for taking so long, either side of her face was cupped by two hands—more specifically Sora's.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"Inspecting your bruises," Sora replied, his face as neutral as ever. It was tinted with concern and concentration as he observed her. "It's not that bad but you should really get it treated."

"No duh. That's what I was doing before I bumped into you," she would reply sardonically but his touch intoxicated her mind for some reason and she lost her ability to speak. He talked for some more and though Jibril listened, all his words were muted by her rapid heartbeat.

_This can't be. This can't be._

Finally, he released her. "We should go to the convenience store quickly."

She tried masking her disappointment when he no longer touched her but then tried masking her happiness when he slipped his hand into hers.

"Let's go!"

She numbly nodded her head as he led her away into the night to the nearest store, hand in hand.

* * *

><p>Word Count: 2808<p>

* * *

><p>AN: When this fic is finished, which is in two to three chapters if I decide not to split those, I am so going to work on a Shiro/Yandere!Sora fic. I call it. :P *totally not forgetting I have another NGNL fic to work on, psht*

But anyways, yeah, I really should've waited to finish this part before uploading the previous chapters. Oh wells. Hope you like this one!

And hope to have your continued support! Let me know what you think in your reviews and thanks for all the favorites/follows!

(Also, I know there may be details mentioned here but not previously and I apologize thoroughly as writer for this. OTL I'll be editing this fic when I'm finished so hopefully it's not too glaringly annoying!)


	7. one step forward, two steps back

_seven: one step forward, two steps back_

She blinked her tears as a yawn escaped her mouth and the soreness that resulted from tossing and turning in bed all of last night spread through her body. After hanging out with Sora and returning home an hour and fifteen minutes late, she hadn't felt the least bit tired. Instead, as she slipped into bed like the obedient younger sister she wasn't (Azriel was absolutely _livid_), she could still feel her heart thudding rapidly and hands warming at an alarming pace.

_"It's not that bad but you should really get it treated."_

Jibril inhaled, trying to cool herself as she unintentionally replayed Sora's words from last night. His words and his gestures that night were enough to send her in a state of turmoil that unfortunately lasted and continued at the moment.

And worse yet, she couldn't come up with an explanation why she was in such a state. "Could it be?" A thought drifted to her mind but she stopped walking, her voice sounding hysterical and growing louder by the second. "No, no, no. It _can't_ be. Me? _Him_? It can't be!" It didn't occur to her that she was gathering attention from students who were on their way to school and she continued freaking out, burying her face into her hands and letting her face become scarlet.

"Of all people, how could I like a guy who's a cocky asshole, siscon, and, and—"

"—incredibly handsome and all things godly," a leveled voice whispered by her ears suddenly.

Jibril yelped, jumping a foot away and glancing at the person who encroached her personal space and was, coincidentally, the reason why she was suffering.

"The heck are you doing?" She finally managed, satisfied that she was able to speak coherently.

"Shouldn't that be my words?" He said, with his smirk to the side and eyebrows wagging. "I see a pink haired girl talking to herself like some crazy psycho in the middle of the path to school. Compared to her, I'm perfectly normal."

"Because a boy who likes his own sister is perfectly normal."

"Psht."

Jibril cracked a grin, wondering why she felt normal all of a sudden and why she was acting out of character to begin with. Sora was just who he was. A cocky asshole who liked his sister. Speaking of his sister…

"Where's Shiro?" Immediately, the boy's grin disappeared and he scratched the back of his head, his red bangs casting a shadow over his eyes. "Well…"

It was then Jibril could spy something red on the side of his face and she pulled his face closer to hers, inspecting the redness. It was a handprint, more specifically a tiny one. She could feel Sora sigh and his hand reaching to remove Jibril's from his face.

"Jibril…"

"What is this," Jibril glanced at Sora, who wouldn't meet her eyes. "Is this about Shiro?"

"It's the rising climax," Sora cracked a barely convincing grin. "Of my story."

_Bullshit._ "Well," Jibril hesitated, wondering if it was alright to involve herself. In fact, she thought back to their brief conversation about Shiro and how uncomfortable he was about the way she was behaving recently. Was the conversation she had then appropriate as well? She had only associated with Sora on the basis of making progress in each other's love lives but…they hadn't really done anything, had they? Yet, why was she so content with that?

"If you want a tragic climax, fine with me." The words struggled to escape her throat but they did and when they did, Jibril turned around to prevent Sora from seeing her distraught face. She didn't quite understand why she was feeling pained when Sora didn't answer her question about Shiro and she didn't want Sora to see this.

"Wait," a hand wrapped around her wrist, preventing her from walking farther. She bit her lips but didn't bother to shake him off. His hand was large but trembling. "What…should I do…when someone I love is becoming farther and farther away from me and I don't want to lose her?"

_Shiro._ "Is this…about Shiro?"

He exhaled sharply. "I—"

"Nii-chan!" Their conversation was cut short by none other than Shiro herself. She approached them both, her hair in a messier state than usual and her breathing erractic. _She must've been running to catch up._ Jibril snuck a peek at Sora, who did his best not to look in Shiro's direction. _Whatever they were discussing, it must've been bad._

Jibril had never seen the two siblings so distant with each other before. Sure, they were never the most sociable pair but together, she could tell the level of mutual understanding and respect they had towards each other in the silences they shared and the look they threw at each other.

It…sort of made her feel envious.

"Jibril," Shiro's voice brought Jibril back from her thoughts and she looked down at the smaller girl, whose expression was clouded with irritation instead of the usual blankness. "Step aside."

For someone as tiny as Shiro, she always had a surprising amount of arrogance Jibril never questioned. With her intelligence and her brother's excessive doting, it was sensible to Jibril for Shiro to naturally develop an arrogant personality. But after realizing that Shiro had been in the debate team, Jibril saw that Shiro had worked to maintain it. Natural intelligence and an abundance of love didn't make her life any simple. She was labeled as a know-it-all, a girl who fed off of her loved ones.

It was the reason why she joined the debate team; to be able to have her own voice.

And because Jibril understood this, she held immense respect for the girl and never hesitated to perform a favor for Shiro. Whether it was to get her a drink while Shiro studied or help her out when she was experiencing terrible cramps and Sora was rendered useless, Jibril felt happy that she was able to help out her friend.

Even after considering all of that, however, Jibril refused Shiro's command. "Sorry. No can do."

Shiro's eyes narrowed. "Jibril…"

Jibril shook her head. _I'm sorry…_

"Nii-chan," deciding to switch tactics, Shiro tried to look over Jibril's shoulders, tippy-toeing. It was a hopeless attempt though. Even on the very edge of her foot, Shiro barely reached Jibril's shoulders. Still, she spoke. "Can I…speak with Sora alone?"

"I don't," Sora spoke coldly, "have anything to say."

Bristling, Shiro faced Jibril. "Please talk some sense to nii-chan for Shiro."

Peering back, Jibril noticed that despite the collected, curt responses Sora had been giving, he had used them as layers to hide the frustration, and fear he felt. He was hiding these real feelings and Jibril had the strangest urge to protect this sentiment.

"Shiro," Jibril said, "I don't have any control over what Sora does. If he wants to speak with you, he'll speak with you."

Stunned that the usually relenting girl refused her request, Shiro glowered. "Jibril, you baka…"

Immediately filled with regret, Jibril tried taking back her words but Shiro spun on her feet and stomped away in the other direction. She was left staring at the little girl's resounding figure.

_I truly did respect you, Shiro. You're perhaps, the best girl friend I had in awhile. _

When Shiro was completely out of earshot, Sora approached Jibril. "Thanks for that Jibril."

"It's fine," Jibril reassured,

A brief silence passed over them before Sora inquired, "Aren't you going to ask me more?"

"I'm not that nosy," Jibril retorted. _But I definitely want to know what happened._

Then Sora smiled, appearing genuinely happy since he had approached her. His eyes shimmered a bit under the morning sunlight and Jibril felt her breath hitch up in her throat. "Haha, I know. That's why I like you."

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

_Dammit. Please. Please don't tell me it's…_

"…and because of that, I'm going to seal the deal."

Jibril threw Sora a quizzical look. "What?"

Instead of answering directly, Sora added, "It's fine that you didn't do much."

"Sora, what the heck are you talking about?" She neared him, having the dreadful feeling that she was no longer going to see him anymore. The way he was nicely treating him and complimenting her was not how normal Sora behaved at all. "Sora, you can tell me you know."

Sora simply chortled, sounding every bit as fake as how the entire scenario felt. "It's just—" His eyes suddenly brightened, as though he had spotted what he had been waiting for. Following the direction his eyes were in with her own eyes, she saw a familiar blonde haired boy bouncing over to them. _Teto._

Panic filled in her as she registered that the boy she had been crushing on was coming over to them now. Where she was standing. Right now.

_Holy shit, why is he here? Why is he coming here? Is he coming to meet me? No, no. That's stupid. You haven't spoken to him, Jibril. Then, he's coming to see Sora—_

But when she looked to her side, she noticed, belatedly, that the red haired boy was nowhere to seen. She circled in her spot frantically, searching in the crowds of passing students until finally, she spotted the boy in the far off distance. He was grinning, pumping his fists to express 'fight on!'

Jibril flustered, trying her best not to melt from embarrassment that instant. "So—"

"Hey," her crush had reached her by now; the distance between them that had kept her crush unrequited and hopeless was now gone. He was inches away from her, close enough for her to whiff his cologne and make out the freckles that lightly sprinkled his face. She looked up "Jibril right?"

"Right." Jibril was surprised by how collected she sounded but shook it off regardless. She was finally talking to her crush; the sole reason why she involved herself with a siscon. This should be a victory flag on her part. "That's me."

"Cool," he flashed a playful, toothy grin that once rendered her a messy goo whenever she saw it but as of now, she didn't feel a thing. "Do you have time after school tomorrow?"

"I should. What's up?"

"That's great" He then took his time explaining his predicament: since he fell asleep throughout his lessons, he was doing poorly in his literature class. "…and since Sora was telling me for a long time how you're an expert in literature, I was hoping I can receive your help!"

It then dawned on Jibril that this was the reason for Sora's abnormal attitude. He had been preparing for this moment. With Teto coming to her, asking her out indirectly, Jibril no longer had a reason to deal with Sora. And while she was thankful for the favor and be rid of Sora's annoying presence, there was a twinge of regret budding inside of her. As for the exact reason for this, Jibril couldn't quite pin the feeling down…

"—how about meeting up tomorrow after school at a local café?" His voice cut through her thoughts and her mind was forced scrambling to come up with a coherent response.

"Sure," she accepted. "Let's go."

They exchanged numbers shortly and talked for a bit. Teto made some small jokes, Jibril laughed, and Teto even complimented her. Few minutes later, they parted and Jibril willed herself to feel happy. She should be happy. The romance she always dreamed of was finally taking form. But all throughout that day, all she could think of was rushing to Sora and informing him of the good news. She could imagine him eyeroll and share information that aimed to slander her image of Teto and she would passionately deny it.

But all throughout that day, she wasn't able to speak to him at all.

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><p>Word Count: 1977<p>

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><p>AN: This chapter was long overdue but then again, every chapter I released was. ;D Happy Valentine's Day by the way! (: May you have a great one, either spending it alone or with a significant other!

Hope to have your continued support! Let me know what you think in your reviews and thanks for all the favorites/follows!


	8. chasing after fate

_eight: chasing after fate_

Sitting across from a handsome boy in a fancy café and eating the most delicious cakes she had ever tasted should have been more than enough for Jibril Flugel to feel like she was the luckiest girl in the world.

It was a nice sunny day out and she was wearing the sexiest outfit from her wardrobe: a top that left her midriff exposed, accentuating her curves, and a skirt that trickled to her knees. She made sure her hair was nicely done as well—she had washed her hair the night before but experienced much trouble maintaining it since her hair was usually frizzy after a wash.

Yet, even when her efforts were rewarded with Teto's compliments and Teto was nothing short of an amazing and charming (soon to be) boyfriend, the faux date felt, for some inexplicable reason, incredibly underwhelming.

_It's because of Sora, isn't it,_ the thought nagged her and she shooed it. _That can't possibly be_.

"…and that's what he said! Isn't that just ridiculous?" Jibril jolted, feeling a pair of eyes falling on her expectantly. Teto, in his handsome glory, stared straight in her direction.

"Uhm…yeah!" She forced a grin as she felt around for the cup of tea she had ordered. Fingering the cup around the handle, she brought the drink to her lips and internally winced when her lips touched the hot liquid. Still, anything was better than to risk looking completely inconsiderate for not listening at all.

Thankfully, if Teto had noticed she wasn't paying attention, he didn't react as such. He just flashed a grin and continued to talk again, about another school incident he had experienced. Jibril pretended to drink for a good while before her ruse would appear fake and she set the cup down.

_This is boring_. Even though Jibril hated to admit, despite being together with her crush under the most ideal dating setting, she was completely bored out of her wits. She had always pictured Teto as someone more playful, more humorous. Instead, what she got wasn't the clumsy person who was a perfect gentleman. What she got was a perfect gentleman who had the personality of the tea she drank: completely tasteless.

A waitress arrived then and Jibril couldn't be any more grateful of an interruption than now. "How can I take your order?"

"Yes, I—" she paused when she recognized the waitress. "_Stephanie?_"

Donned a brown apron around hips and equipped with a notebook and a pen to write with, Stephanie Doila mirrored Jibril's shocked expression but for a different reason other than Jibril finding out her part time.

"What are you doing here?"

Jibril snapped back and sensed the underlying irritation in those spoken words. She puzzled. Was Stephanie pissed that she found out her part time? That wasn't anything to be angry about.

Yet, even after knowing that Stephanie's irritation was unfound, Jibril felt herself heat up. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm currently with a friend, _obviously_."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Stephanie retorted. "I'm talking about Sora."

At the mention of the red haired boy, Jibril stiffened. "What about him?"

Stephanie frowned, muttering some comments about being an oblivious fool. Still, she shared, "He was just here with Shiro earlier. It looked like a farewell meal since, apparently, Shiro is going to study abroad today."

Jibril gasped at this. _So this is why…_

"Things went wrong," Stephanie continued, "because Sora didn't approve or something. He tried to convince Shiro not to leave but she said no. A fight ensued. It ended when Shiro ran away and Sora left after her."

Despite not eating much, Jibril felt her stomach churn uncomfortably. _…if I had let Sora talked, would that have happened?_ "So, how long ago did that happen?"

"A few minutes ago." Stephanie gestured to the clock behind them and then to the café's exit. "You can still catch up to them if you want to. They're heading to Disboard Airport."

"And why," Jibril tried not to let her eyes reveal regret that had been brimming, "why do I have to chase after them when I'm with someone? _You_ like Sora as well right?" She was returned with silence, which for some reason made Jibril anxious. Jibril lifted her head, eyes widened crazily. "I mean, I was only curious okay? That's the only reason I continued to ask!"

Bam! The notebook and pen crashed on the table in front of her, spilling some of the liquid from the cups. Jibril jumped up, startled by Stephanie's action. "Wh-what are you doing—"

"Look, darling," Stephanie snatched Jibril by the collar now, her face every bit as peeved as her tone. "Honey. I know how stubborn you and I both are but do you really have to act this way? _Wake. Up._ You _like_ him. And how would I know? Because you have the look I have only…" She didn't continue, backing up as she chuckled weakly. She ran a hand through her hair. "…he'll probably reciprocate your feelings. The expressions you give to each other…they're identical."

_Do I…really look like that?_ Jibril tried absorbing Stephanie's words, words that meant something she had always tried to suppress. Lately it had been harder to but Jibril knew that as soon as she admitted to being in love with Sora Nai, well, that was when everything was game over. She knew better than to like someone who was in an unrequited love for years on end. She _should_ know better. Her first love was unrequited—well, requited now. Only, she no longer loved Teto.

"Why would you tell me this?" Jibril managed out, "If you like him as well?"

"Call it a favor returned," Stephanie replied, crossing her arms, "I don't want to become my grandfather, debt ridden even in his goddamn deathbed. I'll be in control of _my_ own destiny, thank you very much. And now," she pulled Jibril up by the arm. "Be in control of yours. Do you want Sora to convince Shiro to stay and then he'll be forever oblivious to your feelings? Or will you take the lead and write the way you want your story to be?"

Jibril didn't know whether she was shocked by Stephanie's attitude or proposal. Still, the latter sounded promising. Fuck remaining silent because it would be 'game over' if she wasn't. She didn't plan on letting another love fly by her.

"That sounds something I would say."

Stephanie smirked, "I've learned that the best way to startle your rival is to best them in their own expertise but the best way to be a friend is to remind them of who they are." She patted Jibril's shoulder, a smile on her face. "Go do what you'd like."

Jibril brightened and nodded, grateful for all Stephanie had done. After all these years of not communicating and hating each other guts, they had finally sorted out their misunderstandings. And from what Jibril had found out, about Stephanie, she was a pretty bearable chick. "You know, a café maid suits you. Far better than being the slut that you are. Don't mix personal life with your professional life."

"Shut up."

They both shared a laugh and Jibril was ready to set off, until—

A cough interrupted their moment and the girls' heads turned to the person. Teto, who smiled shyly when he had captured their attention, said awkwardly, "You know, as heartwarming as this all is, I feel pretty left out."

_Oh shit. We totally forgot _he_ was still here_. Jibril bit back an embarrassing blush as she approached the boy. "Teto," she said, "I used to like you. I don't know if you remember but we met when I struggled to return all my library books and you offered to help. I thought," she grinned at her memory. "I thought you would be one of those prince like, perfect boys from the books I've read and lighten my load. But instead," Jibril laughed, "you tripped and fell. You were so hilarious but I still thought you were perfect and…I fell in love. It was love at first sight." Lowering her head, she caught Teto's blank expression and smiled grimly to herself. "But…pm this date…you turned out to be different from how I remembered. You've grown to become like—"

"That's alright, Jibril," Teto interjected and Jibril's head shot up. "Huh?"

"I understand," he assured, "I get it. I'm sort of no better anyways since I approached you because of Sora." Seeing Jibril's apprehensive look, Teto shook his head. "It's true! I did! He asked me out of the blue one day to go out with you. I only accepted because Sora always talked about some pink haired girl named Jibril."

_Sora…talked about me?_

"It's strange," Teto continued. "For the first time, the perverted siscon is talking about a girl other than Shiro. I thought the girl must be really amazing hen. And," Teto smiled, the smile Jibril fell in love with and made her heart race even now. "She was…except she's probably more amazing in Sora's eyes than in mine."

Touched, Jibril chirped, "What did Sora say about me?"

"Oh, just that you're a loud mouth and obnoxious and completely unfeminine."

"Why am I not surprised?" Jibril muttered. "I am definitely chasing him down and ripping his soul from his stupid, smartass self. Then he'd wish he had better hold of his mouth."

"Well, when you do, tell Sora that he found someone really special."

Jibril gave him a thumbs up. "You bet I will." But then, despite all was said, Jibril had a sudden thought. "What…if he doesn't like me?"

Stephanie, who had remained silent out of respect for Jibril's confession, erupted then. "Are you _still_ wondering about that—"

"He definitely does," Teto interjected. "He's the type who is obvious when he likes a girl. At least, he was really obvious about liking Shiro."

_Ah, there he is. The Teto I was in love with._ Gathering her spirits, Jibril bid Teto and Stephanie good bye and rushed out of the café. She looked out into the streets to hail a cab and when she did, she hopped right in.

"Can you go to Disboard Airport? I'm in a rush here."

—

The wretched girl had left minutes ago yet the date she left behind remained in his seat. Stephanie had to resume work so she had no time to reminisce and think out what had just happened. The boy (_Teto?_) did though and Stephanie wondered what exactly he was thinking, with his chirpy demeanor completely gone and a blank expression in its place.

"Are you sure you won't regret it?" Stephanie approached finally, when closing hours were nearing. Most of the customers were gone now and she finally had the opportunity to speak with the boy. "Jibril is pretty amazing, even though I would never admit it in front of her."

"Nah, I think I can live with it. I don't like sad girls." His eyes tore away from the window and slightly widened when they switched to Stephanie. "But, what about you? Are you okay with her chasing after him?"

Stunned by his question, Stephanie readied to give a similar reply. A reply that she was fine, okay, _completely_ content with Jibril chasing after Sora. After all, she had been fine right after Jibril left and was able to perform her part time tasks normally. But then she sniffles, eyes weighed downwards with heavy, begging tears. "Yes! I am perfectly fine with letting him go! Perfectly!"

_Crap, crap, crap.__  
><em>  
>No matter what she did, frustration emitted through her. She was reminded of all the hard times she went through: her grandfather's illness, the beginnings of her responsibilities, the many abusive jobs she had to deal with until now. It was many thanks to Jibril, who both ended and started many wounds. The memory of Jibril storming in the karaoke room that day elicited a small chuckle from Stephanie. She looked ridiculous, back then and even few minutes before. Jibril <em>was<em> ridiculous but perhaps she was as well. She just started and ended one just now—she eliminated any chances Stephanie had to be with Sora, her first high school crush.

"Sayonara," Stephanie whispered, eyes closed as she let a year drop and then another, and then another. "Sora—"

Something soft and warm brushed her cheeks then. A handkerchief.

"Tears, don't look good on you," Teto was saying, in all seriousness.

Stephanie looked at him. The line was ridiculously cheesy, and cliché. Something Jibril would most likely fangirl but she was sick of all those perfect one-liners that came from stories of characters that lived privileged lives. _She_ had no time for any of that and she was definitely not living a privileged life.

Yet, in spite of herself, his words inspired happiness and she broke into a quiet, awkward laughter. "Thanks." She accepted the handkerchief. "Thanks. A lot."

—

Even with Sora and Shiro having an hour or two advantage (if Jibril remembered correctly, she and Teto entered the café only two hours after it opened for the day), Jibril was confident in reaching the airport before they did. As a hopeless romantic reader, Jibril went into a phase of copying the heroine's acts in books and memorizing how to get around places was one of them.

While the conventional choice in getting to the airport would be taking the highway, Jibril knew the highway was susceptible to accidents, traffic, etc. And in a city as accident prone as the one they lived in, Jibril knew Sora and Shiro were bound to chance upon something that would delay their arrival at the airport.

It was why Jibril suggested another path, a local road, for the driver to take. The cab driver was surprised by Jibril's suggestion and tried changing her mind but Jibril didn't relent.

"I hope you're not trying to rip me off," she warned and that was that.

During the ride, Jibril would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. Even after all the support and encouragement she received from Teto and Stephanie, Jibril wasn't quite sure she could convince Sora or Sora would even listen to her. But she decided then that it was fine. Feeling anxious now but acting on her feelings, getting everything out, was a lot better than remaining silent like how she had been throughout all her life.

_If I wasn't silent, I wouldn't have known the true reason for Stephanie's behavior back then. If I wasn't silent, I wouldn't have realized that despite being cool, Teto isn't that cool. But…_

Jibril couldn't contain her grin. _…if I wasn't silent, I would have never been able to meet you, Sora._

The cab neared the airport then and Jibril shouted for the driver to stop. She dug into her purse and gave the driver his amount, along with a few extra bills but Jibril got out before hearing the driver yell at her for this. She had more important things to take care of.

The Disboard airport was a dome shaped building located by the high way. Streaming before it, cars traveled in rapid speeds on a huge stretch of road. It was unsurprising for the Disboard airport to develop a reputation for being dangerous and life risky. Crossing this road meant risking your life. It was this reason alone that the Disboard airport had the best customer service to make up for it and why Jibril once frequented when she was in her rebellious stages.

She stood at the walkway in front of the Disboard airport then, looking around to spy for Shiro and Sora. The earliest flight wasn't taking off until an hour later so Shiro and Sora should just about arrive. But after waiting for a couple of minutes, Jibril decided that the two probably have arrived and she should search for them inside.

But as she opened the doors to enter, she could hear a cab screech in the middle of the busy road and a small figure step out. Jibril's eyes widened. _Shiro._

Another cab followed suit and this time, a red haired boy emerged, rushing to Shiro's side. _Sora!_ He was tugging at the smaller girl's arms, completely unaware of the dangers of talking in the middle of a hazardous road. Shiro was unaware as well, simply shoving her brother and starting to sprint.

But trying to walk across a road required carefulness and concentration to make sure no car was heading, let alone a busy road and a girl who was completely distracted. As expected, Shiro was walking straight into a charging car that didn't seem to slow down and Sora looked ready to act.

Yet, even with Sora ready to save Shiro, Jibril couldn't shake off the unease she got from watching this scene unfold. _He's…going to do _that_ isn't he? _She started to run towards the siblings, carefully navigating herself through the traffic and forcing cars to stop for her.

As she thought, Sora pushed Shiro out of harm's way but he, himself, was now in the way of the charging car. He seemed perfectly content though, and smiled at Shiro's horrific expression. He spoke, and Jibril was close enough to hear the words he expressed to Shiro.

"_I love you, Shiro. The love that makes me want to marry you."_

Her heart clenched and eyes dampened but still, she crashed straight into Sora, pushing her body against his and letting their bodies tumble away from the road and slowly, onto the path. Everything around them rolled in a blurred frenzy and despite her vision still not recovering, she slumped on top of Sora, who was equally as dizzy. With her unsteady arms and shaky legs, she pinned the boy on his back against the pavement, her legs securing the side of his torso and hands balling his shoulders.

Sora finally recovered from the impact then, and his eyes widened at the sight of her. "J-jibril?! Wh-what are you doing here? What about Teto—"

"—shut _up_!" Jibril shrieked, startling both Sora and Shiro, who had saw what happened and was walking over to them. "Stop doing as you please! Stop assuming what makes me happy! Stop _making_ me happy if you don't mean anything! You're really ridiculous, Sora, really. I'm so ashamed that the person I love acted like this."

"What?" Sora gasped. "What do you mean by that—"

"—and you," Jibril pointed a finger at Shiro, snarling, "are you _crazy_? I know you and your brother were an insane, fucked up pair of siblings but for fuck's sake. Why in fucking _hell_ would you walk out in a busy road like that?"

"Jibril, I…"

"—do you not know how much worry you've caused people?" Jibril gasped, her grip on Sora tightening. "How worried Teto was enough to send me after you two? How worried Stephanie was enough to give up on her crush? You two are crazy, crazy. It's not all about you two! We're…I…"

She buried her face into Sora's chest, feeling hot tears sting her cheeks. She was tired, exhausted. Her skirt had been dirtied and torn in the process of saving Sora and her head was still spinning. She didn't care anymore though. She didn't. "…I like you," she managed out and she felt Sora stiffen underneath her. "I like you Sora. I like verbally sparring with you and just being in your company. You're a cocky asshole who's hopelessly in love with your sister to the point that you would kill yourself and FYI, that is just stupid. Sacrificing yourself for your loved one is never admirable—it's just plain selfish. But, even after all of this, I think I like you. A lot."

She raised her head, unsurprised to see Sora's shocked expression and his mouth ajar. She got up though, turning her face away from his. If he left his lips exposed that way, who knew what she would do.

"I…I never knew…"

"I know," Jibril cut, "I know. You only like Shiro." She mustered the best smile she could without crying but her eyes were watering. "I know. I know so," she looked around to see the girl standing far away from her and Jibril figured that Shiro probably felt guilty for risking her life and, now, being the one Sora loved. Jibril pulled Shiro by the hand and pushed her lightly towards Sora. "Solve things with her. Say everything you want to say. Don't be like how I once was, avoiding confrontation and conflict."

"Jibril…" Sora bolted upright, trying to reach over to Jibril but she backed up before he could touch her. She shook her head. "Be the cool Sora I fell in love with. Not the wuss you are right now."

He looked like he had more to say, from the way indescribable feelings clouded his eyes. But upon meeting the determination and faith she had in him in her burning eyes, Sora gave up and smiled back. They shared a knowing smile before Sora broke it away and expression hardened. He faced Shiro.

"Shi-shiro." His eyes wavered a bit upon seeing how saying her name made Shiro flinch. For a second, Jibril thought Sora would give up and she would need to do something. But then, Sora continued, "I…I've always liked you. You were…a source of comfort for me and the only one who could match my intelligence...but at the same time, I knew it. I knew you wouldn't like me the way I did. But then I became selfish, and I refused to let anyone near you…because I was scared that you would…"

And while she was listening, a huge wave of discomfort washed over her and something nagged her that she was intruding on something private, something she shouldn't be listening to. When Sora was finishing up, she tried to back up but was stopped by someone pulling at the hem of her dress. _Sora._

Though he was still speaking and his gaze was directed at Shiro, Jibril noted the slight quirk at her, begging her not to go away.

_Please stay, so I can finish._

Despite herself, Jibril smiled and remained in her spot, listening until the boy finished his speech.

Shiro hadn't said a word, absorbing everything Sora had said with quiet, careful consideration. Long after Sora finished, the silence remained and Jibril was afraid to break this by asking Shiro if she was okay. Sora appeared uneasy as well; if biting his fingernails wasn't already an obvious enough indication.

Luckily, the girl finally put their anxious heart at ease, standing up. "Thank you…nii-chan. Thank you…Jibril. Shiro really appreciates your feelings and Shiro…" her lips formed a small smile. "…couldn't ask for better friends than you guys. Thank…you."

With Shiro's compliment, Jibril felt her heart lightened and cheeks reddened. "Shiro…"

"And that's why, Shiro would like to speak with nii-chan alone." Shiro concluded. "If…that's alright with nii-chan and Jibril."

Sora threw Jibril a 'what to do' gaze which Jibril returned promptly with an encouraging shove. _Just go for it. Life's too short for all this dilly dallying_. When Sora obliged, he took Shiro by the hand and they walked towards the airport. Right before disappearing, Sora mouthed to Jibril.

"I'll be back!"

And Jibril took this as a signal to wait for him—a signal that he _would_ return and happiness filled in her. She perched herself along the sidewalk then, watching as the place flooded with people entering to board on their flights. She wondered if she would ever be one of those people—boarding on her own destination, rather than waiting for it.

_But hey,_ she smiled. _With Sora asking her to wait, all her patience have paid off…right?_

But as each flight departed and the number of people in the airport lessened, Jibril grew a bit anxious.

_What if he lied? What if he changed his mind? What if Shiro decided to accept his feelings and, and…_

Jibril chased these thoughts away, however. This wouldn't happen. It couldn't. Sora wasn't that kind of irresponsible person and he was probably taking his time coming back because he was trying to make the last memory he'll have with Shiro in a while last as long as possible. Yeah. That was right.

"Last flight of the day now departing."

With the intercom announcing the last flight, Jibril shivered slightly from where she sat. The autumn pink sky had now darkened into a midnight blue and she knew something had gone amiss. Still, she hoped. She hoped despite herself. And when the last plane took flight, its silver jetliner cruising through the darkness like a shooting star, Jibril made a wish.

If she had known that the last flight she saw was also the flight both Nai siblings boarded on, she would had never wished, so soon, "I hope I can finally have a happily ever after."

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><p>Word Count: 4163<p>

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><p>AN: Normally, when I write this much in such a short amount of time, I would wait for a few days to pass before publishing. But since this chapter is the penultimate, I decided to post this right away before my motivation wanes and it takes months for me to write the next one and this fic would then never end.

But that's right, folks. _Sincerely Spurious_ is ending with the next chapter! Look forward to it~ (:

Hope to have your continued support! Let me know what you think in your reviews and thanks for all the favorites/follows!


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